Lebanon Drama: Suspect Accused of Spying for the Mossad Escapes Hezbollah Prison

The AP news agency reported today (Wednesday) that Khaled al-Aidi, a dual Ukrainian-Syrian citizen who was arrested in Lebanon last summer on suspicion of helping Israel’s Mossad assassinate senior Hezbollah figures, has escaped from prison.

According to the report, al-Aidi was being held in a prison run by Hezbollah in Beirut, and escaped last March during an Israeli strike in the district, Hezbollah’s stronghold. It was claimed that he was recently seen arriving at the Ukrainian embassy in Lebanon, and since then his whereabouts have been unknown.

The news agency reported that a Lebanese government document confirms that the Ukrainian embassy in Beirut asked Lebanese authorities to allow al-Aidi to leave Lebanon. Lebanon’s General Security agency rejected the request, emphasizing that there is an arrest warrant against al-Aidi.

AP reported that the Mossad declined to comment on the report. Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry also refrained from commenting. A Ukrainian source familiar with the details told AP that al-Aidi is not currently at the Ukrainian embassy. The source refused to provide information about his whereabouts or address the question of whether Kyiv helped him.

It should be noted that six other citizens were arrested יחד with al-Aidi, and they are currently standing trial in Lebanon. They are accused of espionage on behalf of Israel and attempting to harm senior Hezbollah figures.