German police arrest Hezbollah agent who tried to acquire deadly drone components

Latest developments

German police have arrested a Lebanese man who was trying to obtain components for drones to be used in Hezbollah attacks against Israel, the Associated Press reported on July 15. The man – identified in the media only as “Fadel Z.” in accordance with German privacy rules – lives in Salzgitter in the German state of Lower Saxony and is believed to have joined Hezbollah in 2016. He is believed to have recently begun obtaining components for drones that would be “exported to Lebanon and used in terrorist attacks against Israel,” prosecutors said. Germany banned Hezbollah in 2020 and has carried out raids on mosques and Islamic centers linked to the Iran-backed terror organization. The arrest came eight months after German police arrested four suspected Hamas terrorists in an alleged plot to attack Jewish sites in the country.

Expert analysis

“The arrest of a Hezbollah supporter in Germany who was trying to procure components, including engines, for Hezbollah drones shows how Hezbollah is trying to increase its supply of drones for attacks against Israel. Hezbollah has already launched hundreds of kamikaze drone attacks on Israel. The Iran-backed terror group is increasingly relying on drones as the main weapon in its arsenal.” — Seth J. Frantzmanextraordinary fellow of the FDD

“Iran and its proxies, including Hezbollah, must not be allowed to view the European Union as an arms bazaar. The only appropriate response to the arrest of a Hezbollah supporter in Germany – an EU member state – for attempting to acquire weapons to maim and kill Israelis is an EU-wide ban on this deadly terrorist organization.” — Ben Cohen, FDD Senior Analyst and Rapid Response Manager

Hezbollah increases use of drones with Iranian support

Hezbollah has stepped up its attacks on Israel with deadly kamikaze drones since declaring its support for Hamas following the October 7 atrocities in southern Israel. According to a study published by the Alma Research and Education Center, which looks at Hezbollah’s threats to northern Israel, there were 85 drone infiltrations in May 2024, compared to 42 the previous month. Hezbollah has also released footage of drones spying on sensitive Israeli military sites. Many of its drones are supplied by Iran. The pro-Iranian news portal al-Mayadeen reported on July 14 that Hezbollah is now using the same Iranian Shahed-101 drones that were supplied to the Russian military and used against the civilian population of Ukraine with devastating effect.

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