Lebanese officials arrest man accused of spying for Israel

Lebanese judicial officials arrested a man at Beirut's airport last week on suspicion of spying for Israel, a judicial source told Agence France-Presse and Arab media outlets. The source said the detainee had close ties to Hezbollah commanders and provided information that enabled Israeli forces to kill four senior security leaders in the group.

Background on the reported killings The reported deaths include Fuad Shukr, killed in an August 2024 airstrike in Beirut's southern suburbs, and Ibrahim Aqil, killed in a September 2024 strike during a meeting in the Dahieh neighborhood. Shukr had been wanted by the United States in connection with the 1983 Beirut bombing that killed roughly 300 American and French peacekeepers.

Aqil was described as a senior member of Hezbollah's Islamic Jihad Organization, which was linked to the 1983 U.S. Embassy and Marine barracks bombings.

Details of the arrest The judicial source told AFP the man was detained before he could board a flight to Iraq. The individual reportedly made frequent trips to Iraq and Turkey, where he allegedly met Mossad-linked contacts. Arab media outlets reported the detainee belongs to the Al Khalifa family.

The same outlets noted the arrest is part of a broader series of detentions of people suspected of spying for Israel. A Lebanese judicial source told Asharq Al-Awsat the detainee was considered one of the most dangerous agents due to his access to sensitive information about Hezbollah operations.