All ambiguity surrounding the disappearance of retired General Security officer Ahmad Chokr, which occurred about two months ago in the Bekaa, has been resolved. Based on investigations by Lebanese security agencies, it is now confirmed that the Israeli Mossad kidnapped Chokr, who is in his sixties, and detained him along with 23 other Lebanese detainees. Israel continues to withhold any information on their condition.

The conclusion that Mossad kidnapped this man was recently confirmed by President Joseph Aoun. Relevant agencies meticulously tracked the operation and arrested a suspect accused of involvement, Ali Murad from the town of Qana. Following his arrest, he reportedly provided full details of the operation. Based on these findings, President Aoun told a delegation from Chokr's family, who visited him recently, that he had not agreed to meet them until after he confirmed the kidnapping. He stated that with the abduction of officer Chokr, the number of Lebanese prisoners held in Israeli jails has risen to 24 detainees, and that responsibility for pursuing their release is now entrusted to him.

Chokr's brother, Secretary-General of the Higher Islamic Shiite Council Abdel Salam Chokr, told Annahar that “we have information from more than one source indicating that the recruitment and subsequent transfer of my brother to Israel were carried out by a four-member spy network linked to the Israeli Mossad. The detained Ali Murad is the mastermind and principal operator of this network. He is originally from the southern town of Qana and has been living abroad for a long time. His father was killed years ago by resistance fighters on charges of collaborating with the enemy.

"Murad moves between several African capitals and presents himself as a businessman. The network also includes three other individuals: one woman and two men, one of whom is named Salim Kassab."

Chokr added that “Murad managed to establish a relationship with my brother under the pretext of forming a partnership in a real estate brokerage office. My brother hosted him in his home, and the trap was set on the evening of the kidnapping, when Murad insisted on going to an apartment in Dhour Zahle to meet someone who claimed he wanted to buy a plot of land in one of the Bekaa areas.

When my brother expressed suspicion about proceeding with a deal that could not wait until the next morning, Murad began pleading with him, saying, ‘Don’t miss our chance to profit from this deal, especially since the buyer is in a hurry.’ As a result, my brother agreed to go, after which all contact with him was lost, until it was later confirmed that Mossad had kidnapped him.”

Chokr rejected the narrative that Mossad kidnapped his brother because he possessed information about the whereabouts of the body of Israeli navigator Ron Arad, who disappeared more than forty years ago after his aircraft crashed in 1986 near the Ain al-Hilweh camp and the town of Maghdoucheh, east of Sidon. He added, “We are convinced that claims linking my kidnapped brother to this case are unfounded, and that he is completely innocent of any involvement in this matter.”

Chokr continued, “Based on this, we as a family launched a campaign to raise the issue of our unjustly treated brother, beginning at the Presidential Palace, with plans to subsequently meet with the second and third presidencies. We also sought meetings with religious leaders and other relevant figures, all under the conviction that we will not remain silent in the face of the injustice done to our brother. We are calling on the concerned officials to intensify diplomatic efforts and apply pressure on the enemy to disclose his fate, secure his release, and return him safely to his family."

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by the writers are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Annahar.