Hezbollah Spy Ring Unravels as Israel Infiltration Sparks Wave of Arrests
Hezbollah has handed over at least 21 individuals to Lebanese authorities on charges of collaborating with Israel, deepening a climate of fear and suspicion in Lebanon—particularly for foreigners. Taylor Thomas reports that the scandal follows revelations that Israel infiltrated Hezbollah’s communications network, using a fake tech company to plant explosive devices in pagers and radios, killing top commanders and civilians during a two-month military operation last year.
Those arrested include 13 Lebanese nationals, six Syrians, and two Palestinians. Many are reportedly connected to Hezbollah operatives and were allegedly recruited by Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency. The most prominent suspect is Mohammad Saleh, son of a senior Hezbollah commander. Saleh is accused of providing information that led to multiple assassinations and is said to have shared photos of Hezbollah figures with Israeli handlers. He has been formally indicted and could face the death penalty.
This holiday season, give to:
Truth and understanding
The Media Line's intrepid correspondents are in Israel, Gaza, Lebanon, Syria and Pakistan providing first-person reporting.
They all said they cover it.
We see it.
We report with just one agenda: the truth.
The arrests have rattled Lebanon’s Shiite community, Hezbollah’s support base. In one instance, protesters erected mock gallows to demand executions. While executions are known in Gaza and the West Bank, a Lebanese political expert told The Media Line that Hezbollah avoids such measures to maintain legitimacy as a political actor in Lebanon.
The surge in arrests is occurring as Lebanon’s economy continues to collapse. Poverty and desperation have likely made some citizens more vulnerable to recruitment. Since 2019, over 185 people have been detained for alleged collaboration with Israel.
The scandal has also heightened risks for foreigners, some of whom say they’ve stopped visiting Hezbollah-controlled areas due to detentions.
For a full account of the scandal, read Taylor Thomas’s detailed report for The Media Line.
