Mysterious disappearance of alleged Israeli spy puts Lebanese state in a tough spot
Lebanese officials say Khaled al-Aydi was charged with giving Mossad maps of Hezbollah sites and later vanished after entering the Ukrainian Embassy.
- In March, Khaled al-Aydi escaped Hezbollah detention during Israeli airstrikes on Beirut and subsequently entered the Ukrainian Embassy in Baabda, where his whereabouts now remain unknown amid an ongoing intelligence battle.
- Lebanese officials detained al-Aydi in May 2025, alleging he provided Mossad with maps and coordinates of Hezbollah sites later struck by Israeli operations, part of a broader crackdown where about 50 people have been convicted.
- Unlike many alleged spies with Hezbollah ties, al-Aydi is a Palestinian refugee from Syria who holds Ukrainian citizenship; cases describe operatives receiving between $2,500 and $20,000 for intelligence on weapons depots.
- The Ukrainian Embassy requested Lebanese authorities facilitate al-Aydi's departure in March, but Lebanon's General Security refused, citing an arrest warrant issued in September 2025 and creating a diplomatic standoff.
- Hezbollah became "easier for the Israelis to penetrate" after its 2006 expansion, Blanford said, while analyst Mohanad Hage Ali noted the irony that operatives emerged from within the organization despite internal accusations.
28 Articles
28 Articles
A Palestinian refugee allegedly spied for Israel in Lebanon, then disappeared
A man identified as a Palestinian refugee from Syria with Ukrainian citizenship was detained by Hezbollah and accused by Lebanon of being part of an Israeli bombing and assassination plot. His subsequent escape and disappearance now put Lebanon in a quandary
Alleged spy’s escape in Lebanon exposes Israel’s shadow war inside Hezbollah
AP says Khaled al-Aydi fled, accused in an alleged Mossad plot, Hezbollah custody during Israeli strikes and disappeared, sparking a political dispute over who may have helped him leave Lebanon
Associated Press News
Alleged spy's mysterious disappearance spotlights Israel’s intelligence networks in Lebanon
A man accused by Lebanese officials of being part of an Israeli intelligence plot took refuge in the Ukrainian Embassy in Beirut over two months ago.
Khaled al-Aidi, the man accused of belonging to a network that allegedly worked for the Israeli Mossad, disappeared after escaping detention by the terrorist organization and arriving at the Ukrainian embassy. Lebanon fears political repercussions and tensions with the organization's supporters
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