Lebanese man linked to Hamas found dead

BEIRUT (Reuters) – A Lebanese man sanctioned for allegedly funneling millions of dollars to Hamas was found dead in a mountain town outside Beirut, a security source told Reuters on Wednesday.

The security source identified the victim as Mohammad Surur and said he hailed from a northeastern town near the Syrian border and worked in currency exchanges and money transfers, including between Iran-backed groups opposed to Israel.

He was found dead in a house in the town of Beit Meri on Tuesday, with several gunshot wounds to his legs, the Lebanese security source said.

That, along with a large sum of money found on his body, led Lebanon’s security forces to conclude that Surur had been subjected to a violent interrogation and not attempted theft, the source added.

Surur was sanctioned in 2019 by the US Department of the Treasury, which said he had transferred “tens of millions of dollars per year” between the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ external branch, the Quds Force, and Hamas’s so-called armed wing, Izzadin al-Qassam Brigades.

He would have been 57 at the time of his death, according to biographical details published by the Treasury.

In 2019, the Treasury said Surur was also linked to Lebanon’s Hezbollah, an ally of Hamas. Surur has been seen at public events hosted by Hezbollah in Lebanon but did not appear to have a formal or senior role directly within it, a source familiar with Hezbollah’s operations told Reuters.

In a press conference, Surur’s family pressed for a full investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death but did not accuse any particular individual, group, or government.