Lebanon’s State Security agency has arrested a Syrian national suspected of communicating with Israelis for commercial purposes, just two days after entering the country and traveling between the southern cities of Sidon and Bint Jbeil.
The arrest raises the number of people detained in Lebanon on suspicion of collaborating with Israel since the October 2023 war to 41, a record for that period.
The General Directorate of State Security said suspect, identified by his initials (I.A.), was arrested after “close surveillance and monitoring” as part of efforts to combat networks dealing with the Israeli enemy.
He is accused of concluding commercial deals with Israel and was found to have entered Lebanon illegally through unauthorized crossings.
Entered illegally, Moved without a Clear Destination
A security source told Asharq Al-Awsat the suspect, Ibrahim A., born in Aleppo in 2007, slipped into Lebanon two days before his arrest. He was detained in the Sharhabil area of Sidon after drawing suspicion by moving between Sidon and Bint Jbeil without a clear purpose.
He has no registered residence in Lebanon. A search of his phone revealed communications with Israeli-linked sites and numbers. Some appeared commercial in nature, while others were linked to pornographic websites, the source said.
Collaboration cases
The arrest comes amid what officials describe as intensified preemptive security measures, particularly after Israel’s latest war on Lebanon in 2024, during which it benefited from human intelligence networks inside the country.
A senior judicial source said that alleged collaboration cases are now top of the agenda of the Military Court due to their growing number and the gravity of the charges.
Military Public Prosecutor records show that 41 individuals have been referred for investigation and trial on accusations of collaborating with Israel and supplying security information that aided Israeli military operations.
Seven suspects were arrested during the war, while the rest were detained after the November 27, 2024, ceasefire, the source said.
Nineteen have been sentenced to prison terms ranging from six months to seven years of hard labor. The remainder are still on trial.
The security allegations facing the broader group do not apply to the Syrian detainee, the source said. There is no evidence at this stage that he carried out security tasks for Israel, and his contacts appear limited to commercial dealings.
The source described him as withdrawn and unresponsive during questioning, saying he did not clarify where he came from or where he was headed. No one contacted him during his pretrial detention.
The source suggested he may have been subjected to a professional recruitment method designed to shield associates in the event of arrest.
Following preliminary investigations, the suspect was referred to the Military Court.
Earlier Arrests
Last month, State Security announced the arrest of a Lebanese citizen on suspicion of communicating with Israel, following what it described as sustained monitoring of collaboration networks.
Preliminary investigations showed that the suspect had been contacting Israel since early 2024 via applications on his mobile phone, offering services and work to the Mossad.
Legal measures were taken at the direction of the Military Public Prosecutor.
In October, the State Security also announced the arrest of a Palestinian man suspected of communicating with Israel after following the official Mossad page on Facebook.
