Lebanon arrests alleged Israeli spy accused of betraying, exposing Hezbollah leaders
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Lebanon arrests alleged Israeli spy accused of betraying, exposing Hezbollah leaders")
Smoke billows after Israeli strikes on Lebanon. Photograph: (AFP (File Photo)
Lebanon has detained an alleged Israeli agent accused of passing intelligence that led to the killings of top Hezbollah military leaders in 2024.
Investigators say he was an Israeli spy who helped identify targets for the assassination of some of Hezbollah's top military leaders. If confirmed, the case would mark one of the most damaging intelligence failures the Iran-backed group has suffered in years.
A Lebanese judicial official involved in the investigation described the suspect as a "high-level Israeli agent" with close access to Hezbollah's leadership, AFP reported.
According to Arab media, the suspect allegedly passed highly precise intelligence to Israel, leading to the deadly assassination of at least four of Hezbollah's top security commanders in 2024, including Fuad Shukr and Ibrahim Aqil.
Fuad Shukr was Hezbollah's top military commander and a senior adviser to Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah. Ibrahim Aqil served as the commander of Hezbollah's elite Radwan Force and acted as the group's second-in-command for military operations.
Former Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah was also killed in an Israeli strike on Beirut's southern suburbs in September 2024.
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Lebanese security agencies reportedly detained the suspect at Beirut's airport as he prepared to board a flight to Iraq and leave the country.
The man, who is from southern Lebanon, reportedly travelled frequently to Iraq, where his wife is from. From Iraq, he then travelled to Türkiye, where he allegedly met officers and agents linked to Israel's Mossad intelligence service and handed over intelligence on targets in Beirut.
Prior to his arrest, Lebanese authorities were allegedly tracking his movements as well as monitoring his calls with contacts abroad.
The case is reportedly not an isolated incident. According to reports, more than 30 people have been arrested by Lebanese authorities on suspicion of supplying Israel with intelligence on Hezbollah facilities and the movements of its members during the 2023 and 2024 wars.
