Lebanon asks Ukrainian embassy to hand over suspect accused of links to Israel’s Mossad

Lebanese authorities have asked the Ukrainian embassy in Beirut to hand over one of its nationals who sought refuge there after fleeing Beirut’s southern suburbs, where he had been held by Hezbollah on suspicion of involvement with Israel’s Mossad, a security official and a Hezbollah source told Agence France-Presse.

According to a Hezbollah source, the man — a Palestinian Syrian who holds Ukrainian citizenship — was detained by the group in September after he parked a motorcycle on the road leading to Beirut’s international airport. It was later discovered that a powerful explosive device had been planted in the motorcycle in the form of a battery.

The man remained detained by Hezbollah for months until an Israeli airstrike on March 6 targeted Beirut’s southern suburbs, hitting a building adjacent to the one where he was being held, allowing him to escape and seek refuge at the Ukrainian embassy, the source said.

Lebanon’s General Security later arrested five members of the group that allegedly worked with him and referred them to the Lebanese judiciary for questioning.

Lebanese General Security chief Major General Hassan Choucair told AFP that the Ukrainian embassy contacted Lebanese authorities on March 10, requesting a transit permit for one of its citizens who had lost his passport so he could depart via Beirut Airport.

“After checking his name and photo, we found that he is wanted by the Lebanese judiciary and that several arrest warrants had been issued against him by security agencies. We informed the Ukrainian embassy that it must hand him over immediately to the Lebanese authorities,” he said.

He added that the man is wanted for involvement with a Mossad-linked cell accused of planning assassinations and bombings in Beirut’s southern suburbs.

The Ukrainian embassy in Beirut did not respond to AFP requests for comment.

AFP