Lebanese security and judicial authorities have opened a new espionage case involving Israel after arresting a Lebanese man suspected of links to Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency and of passing detailed security information about Hezbollah leaders and targets. The military judiciary took over the case after the Internal Security Forces’ Information Branch completed its preliminary investigation. A Lebanese judicial source familiar with the case said the detainee was considered one of the most dangerous agents because of his ties to Hezbollah officials and his ability, according to initial investigations, to access sensitive information used in operations targeting senior leaders. The source told Asharq Al-Awsat that security forces arrested the man, a member of the Khalifeh family, at Rafik Hariri International Airport last week after previously tracking him, monitoring telephone numbers that were in contact with suspicious numbers abroad, and obtaining detailed information about his dealings with Israel. The source described him as “a high-level Israeli agent” who posed a serious threat. The suspect was preparing to leave Lebanon for Iraq when he was arrested. The source said he traveled between Beirut and Iraq and was married to an Iraqi woman. Initial investigation findings indicated that he traveled from Iraq to Türkiye to meet people linked to Mossad, where he handed over information collected in Beirut about specific targets. The judicial source said the information he passed to Israel helped identify targets that led to the assassination of Hezbollah officials in 2024, including four senior security commanders. They are believed to have included Fuad Shukr, who was assassinated in August 2024, and Ibrahim Aqil, who was assassinated in September that year. The arrest comes amid a series of detentions involving dozens of people who formed espionage networks for Israel, particularly after the latest war, which saw complex security and intelligence operations targeting Hezbollah leaders and facilities. The source said the case’s seriousness was linked not only to the accusations against the detainee but also to his position and relationships. According to the investigation, he was close to several Hezbollah leaders, giving him access to sensitive information. The detainee underwent preliminary questioning and was referred to the Military Court to begin his trial. The case is expected to face further scrutiny because of the volume of information he is believed to have collected and the parties with which he is suspected of communicating.
