German Police Arrest Hezbollah Operative Who Attempted to Acquire Deadly Drone Components

Latest Developments

German police arrested a Lebanese man who was attempting to acquire components for drones for use in Hezbollah attacks against Israel, the Associated Press reported on July 15. The man — named in the media only as “Fadel Z.”, in line with German privacy rules — is a resident of Salzgitter in the German state of Lower Saxony and is alleged to have joined Hezbollah in 2016. He is understood to have recently begun acquiring components for drones that “were supposed to be exported to Lebanon and used in terrorist attacks on Israel,” prosecutors said. Germany banned Hezbollah in 2020, carrying out raids on mosques and Islamic centers linked to the Iranian-backed terrorist organization. The arrest comes eight months after German police arrested four suspected Hamas terrorists in an alleged plot to attack Jewish sites in the country.

Expert Analysis

“The arrest of a Hezbollah supporter in Germany who sought to obtain components, including engines, for Hezbollah drones illustrates how Hezbollah is seeking to increase its stockpile of drones for use in attacks against Israel. Hezbollah has already launched hundreds of kamikaze drone attacks on Israel. The Iranian-backed terrorist group is increasingly relying on drones as a main weapon in its arsenal.” — Seth J. Frantzman, FDD Adjunct Fellow

“Iran and its proxies, including Hezbollah, cannot be allowed to treat the European Union as an arms bazaar. The only appropriate response to the arrest of a Hezbollah supporter in Germany — an EU member state — for attempting to acquire weaponry to maim and kill Israelis is an EU-wide ban on this deadly terrorist organization.” — Ben Cohen, FDD Senior Analyst and Rapid Response Manager

Hezbollah Increases Use of Drones with Iranian Backing

Hezbollah has increased its attacks on Israel involving deadly kamikaze drones since declaring support for Hamas following the October 7 atrocities in southern Israel. According to research published by the Alma Research and Education Center, which covers Hezbollah threats to northern Israel, there were 85 drone infiltrations in May 2024, compared to 42 the previous month. Hezbollah has also released footage of drones spying on sensitive Israeli military sites. Many of its drones are supplied by Iran. The pro-Iranian al-Mayadeen news outlet reported on July 14 that Hezbollah is now using the same Iranian Shahed 101 drones supplied to the Russian military and used to devastating effect against Ukraine’s civilian population.

Related Analysis

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“Hezbollah Releases New Drone Footage Showing Israeli Military Bases,” FDD Flash Brief

“Hezbollah Threatens Cyprus Over Israel Links,” FDD Flash Brief