The Shin Bet arrested a Swede of Lebanese descent whom they suspect of spying on Israel for Hezbollah. He confessed to the charges during questioning.
(Shutterstock)
A Swedish national of Lebanese descent suspected of spying for the Hezbollah terror organization was arrested in July and indicted on Sunday for security-related offenses, the Shin Bet (Israel’s Security Agency) announced Sunday.
Hassan Khalil Khizran, 55, was arrested upon landing at Ben Gurion Airport on July 21. Israel’s intelligence agencies had received prior information on his activities. Swedish authorities were notified about the arrest.
Khizran admitted during questioning to joining the Lebanon-based terror organization in 2009 while visiting the country with his family. He was explicitly told by Hezbollah that they were seeking to recruit Arabs with foreign citizenship who could exploit their ability to enter Israel freely and provide them with intelligence.
Khizran was tasked with recruiting Israeli Arabs with ties to Jewish Israelis and especially with army and government officials.
Another assignment was to collect intelligence on the IDF, specifically regarding areas with a large concentration of IDF troops, arms, tanks and military bases.
For this purpose he visited Israel several times and then met with his Hezbollah handlers in Beirut to provide them with the information he collected, according to the indictment.
Khizran visited Lebanon again in 2011 and 2013, where he also met with Hezbollah agents. He received $2,300 in 2009 in addition to $800 in 2011 for meeting and cooperating with the Hezbollah agents.
Hezbollah in Malmo, Sweden
Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah. (AP/Hussein Malla)
Under interrogation, Khizran also provided the Shin Bet with information on a group called “The Lebanese House” that operates in Malmo, Sweden. The members are Shiite Muslims involved in social and cultural Shiite activity as well as with the Shiite terror organization by, for instance, marking Hezbollah anniversaries and watching hate speeches delivered by Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.
Khizran was charged with passing information to and maintaining contacts with a foreign agent, among other terror-related offenses.
The Shin Bet notes that Khizran’s exposure demonstrates Hezbollah’s drive to recruit foreign nationals to spy on Israel and the high value that it places on their ability to access Israel unhindered.
Hezbollah’s interest in Israel’s military installation is another indication that the Iranian-backed Hezbollah is preparing for war against Israel and collecting information for its targets, the Shin Bet underscored.
By: Max Gelber, United with Israel