Israel Detains High-Level Hezbollah Agent in Northern Lebanon – Firstpost

Earlier today, Lebanese authorities said they were investigating the kidnapping of the captain of a Lebanese ship by gunmen who reportedly landed on the coast north of Beirut, with speculation that Israel may have been involved.

read on

Israel’s navy captured a high-ranking Hezbollah operative in northern Lebanon, an Israeli military official said Saturday.

“The operative was transferred to the territory of Israel and an investigation is currently underway,” the military official said, without giving the name of the detainee.

Lebanese authorities announced an investigation into whether Israel was involved in the kidnapping earlier today of a Lebanese sea captain who was captured by gunmen who landed on the coast near the northern city of Batroun on Friday.

Two Lebanese military officials confirmed Associated Press that naval forces landed in Batroun, about 30 kilometers (18 miles) north of Beirut, and abducted a Lebanese national. No one has identified the man or said whether he is believed to have ties to the Lebanese group Hezbollah. They did not confirm whether the men were armed by Israeli forces.

Speaking to Lebanon’s Al-Jadeed TV, Public Works and Transport Minister Ali Hami declined to elaborate or answer questions about whether it was considered an Israeli operation.

This was reported by three Lebanese judges AP The incident occurred at dawn on Friday, adding that the captain may have links to Hezbollah. Officials said an investigation was looking into whether the man was linked to Hezbollah or working for the Israeli spy service, and Israeli forces arrived to rescue him.

Both military and judicial officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to share details about the incident or the ongoing investigation.

Hezbollah issued a statement calling what happened “Zionist aggression in the Batroun area.” The statement did not provide details or confirm whether one of the Hezbollah members was captured by Israel.

Meanwhile, the Israeli military announced an update to its rear command’s defense instructions on Saturday, raising the alert level in the Lower Galilee and southern Golan from “partial” to “full.”

He also eased restrictions in his precautionary advice to the public, allowing gatherings of up to 2,000 people in some communities.

The changes come after ongoing fighting with Hezbollah in Lebanon, which shares a southern border with Israel and has been exchanging fire with Israeli forces since October 2023.

With the help of agencies.