The IDF has exposed that Hezbollah’s Unit 121 assassinated four Lebanese public figures who posed a threat to the terror organization by attempting to reveal that the August 2020 Beirut port explosion was caused by ammonium nitrate stored for Hezbollah’s use.
The individuals killed were senior customs officials and journalists who pointed to Hezbollah’s connection to the blast.
Joseph Skaff, who served as head of the Beirut Port Customs Department, was thrown from a great height to his death by members of the unit in 2017, after he demanded the removal of Hezbollah’s ammonium nitrate from the port - the material that later caused the devastating explosion.
Waneer Abu Rajili, head of the Anti-Smuggling Unit in the Customs Authority, was stabbed to death by unit operatives in December 2020, after providing information linking Hezbollah to the port explosion.
Joe Bejjani, a photographer who was among the first to document the scene of the explosion and assisted investigators, was shot dead in his car in December 2020 by unit operatives, who also stole his phone before fleeing the scene.
Lokman Slim, a political activist and journalist known for his outspoken criticism of Hezbollah, was also shot dead in his vehicle in February 2021 by the same unit, shortly after stating in an interview that Hezbollah and the Assad regime were responsible for the explosion.
IDF Arabic-language Spokesperson Lt. Col. Avichay Adraee stated: “In all four cases, Hezbollah denied any involvement in the murders, and the investigations were never completed.”