Under Cover of an Israeli Strike: Hezbollah Detainee Suspected of Espionage Escapes and Vanishes, Report Says

Khaled al-Aidi was held in an unusual manner by the terrorist organization and was considered highly important to it. He is accused of belonging to a criminal cell run by the Mossad that planned attacks in Lebanon. His escape could ignite a dangerous internal confrontation in the Land of the Cedars, Asaf Rosenzweig, N12, published: 10.06.26, 12:21

In brief: Al-Aidi fled Hezbollah custody in March. The affair is considered a major point of friction between the government and the terrorist organization. He holds Ukrainian citizenship, but the Ukrainians deny that they helped him. A senior Hezbollah figure assessed that there was a failed attempt to smuggle him to Syria. He arrived in Lebanon from Ethiopia, and was, quote, "operated through the Mossad."

While Israeli Air Force planes struck Beirut's Dahieh district in March and many residents fled in panic, one person took advantage of the chaos to escape from the place where Hezbollah was holding him. According to an AP report, the man managed to leave the facility where he was detained, reach the hills overlooking Lebanon's capital, and disappear inside the Ukrainian embassy compound in the Aamdad area.

The man, identified by Lebanese authorities as Khaled al-Aidi, is a Palestinian refugee from Syria who also holds Ukrainian citizenship. He was detained by Hezbollah after being accused of involvement in an espionage network that allegedly worked for Israel and planned to carry out attacks and assassinations in Lebanon. According to legal and security officials in Lebanon, al-Aidi was held in the suburbs of Beirut and was considered by Hezbollah to be a suspect of special importance. Since he disappeared, al-Aidi's whereabouts are unknown.

The case has become part of an ongoing struggle by Hezbollah and the authorities in Lebanon against espionage networks suspected of working for Israel and infiltrating the organization. The case could also have political implications. The Lebanese government has barely commented publicly on the affair, but if it turns out that al-Aidi managed to flee the country with the help of official figures, this could increase tensions with Hezbollah supporters in the Shiite camp. Tensions between the government and Hezbollah are already high because of the direct contacts the state is conducting with Israel on ceasefire and security arrangements.

A Lebanese government document obtained by AP indicates that the Ukrainian embassy contacted Lebanese authorities in March and asked them to help al-Aidi leave the country after his escape. However, Lebanon's General Security Directorate rejected the request, saying that an arrest warrant had already been issued against him in September 2025.

A Ukrainian official familiar with the details did not say where al-Aidi is currently located, and the Mossad and the foreign ministry in Kyiv declined to comment on the report. The Ukrainian source said the man is not in the Ukrainian embassy in Lebanon or inside the embassy compound, but refused to say whether he had been there previously or whether Ukraine helped him escape.

Over the years, Israel developed extensive intelligence networks in Lebanon, which enabled it to carry out a series of operations against Hezbollah. Since the start of the war between Israel and Hezbollah in recent years, Lebanon has stepped up its fight against espionage networks. According to legal officials, about 50 people have already been convicted and sentenced to prison terms, while others are still under investigation.

Unlike other espionage suspects, who were sometimes connected to Hezbollah or to members of their families, al-Aidi was considered an outsider to the organization. According to the Lebanese documents, he holds Ukrainian citizenship through his mother. It is not known how he was allegedly recruited to work for Israel.

Security officials said he entered Lebanon in August 2025 on a flight from Ethiopia. According to indictments filed with the Lebanese military court, various agents received between $2,500 and $20,000 in exchange for information on Hezbollah weapons depots and political offices. According to the legal officials, many of the suspects were recruited through social networks, with Israel exploiting the country's severe economic situation to lure potential collaborators.

In October, Lebanon's General Security Directorate announced that it had uncovered a network that planned attacks and assassinations in the country, including an attack intended for the memorial events marking one year since the death of Hassan Nasrallah. The authorities found a motorcycle and a car that had been prepared to carry explosives. Al-Aidi and six other Lebanese citizens were indicted in the affair. Another defendant also managed to escape, while the rest are being held in Lebanese prison and are awaiting trial. Al-Aidi was the only one held by Hezbollah and not by the state, which may indicate his importance to the terrorist organization.

According to the military court in Beirut, the operation was run by, quote, "an operator on behalf of the Mossad who lived in Germany and communicated with those involved through encrypted applications." The court sent a summons to the Ukrainian embassy, but received no response. Hezbollah senior official Wafiq Safa claimed that there was a failed attempt to smuggle al-Aidi from Lebanon to Syria, but provided no further details.

Two senior figures in Lebanon's security establishment estimated that al-Aidi has already left Lebanon, but it is unclear whether he crossed into Syria. They said the Syrian authorities also do not have information on his whereabouts. His disappearance continues to stir controversy in Lebanon. Experts estimate that if the state is seen as having helped him escape, it could provoke public anger among Hezbollah supporters and deepen internal tensions in the country.