Lebanon accuses Ukrainian embassy of sheltering Mossad suspect
Lebanon demands Ukraine's Beirut embassy hand over a suspected Mossad agent accused of plotting assassinations. The man escaped after being detained by Hezbollah.
Lebanon has formally requested the Ukrainian embassy in Beirut to hand over a suspected Israeli Mossad agent, as confirmed by Lebanese security chief Hassan Choukeir to AFP. The individual, identified as a Syrian-Palestinian national who also holds a Ukrainian passport, is accused of involvement in bombing and assassination plots in the Lebanese capital.
The suspect was initially detained in September 2025 by the Hezbollah armed group after parking a motorbike rigged with explosives on a road leading to Beirut airport through the city's southern suburbs. He escaped in early March 2026, during a period of Israeli military strikes on Hezbollah targets, and fled to the Ukrainian embassy for shelter.
Reportedly, Ukrainian diplomats asked Lebanese authorities to allow the man to leave the country, claiming he had lost his passport. However, upon checking his identity, Lebanese authorities found he was wanted by the judiciary. The Ukrainian embassy has not responded to AFP's requests for comment.
This incident occurs amid a complex geopolitical backdrop, where Ukraine has supported the ongoing US-Israeli war with Iran, unlike many European NATO members. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has offered to help intercept Iranian drones and secure the Strait of Hormuz, prompting Iran to warn that it would consider Ukraine a legitimate target if it intervenes in the Middle East.