In a dramatic turn of events that has heightened tensions between the Lebanese government and Hezbollah, a man identified as Khaled al-Aydi, a Palestinian refugee from Syria with Ukrainian citizenship, escaped from a Hezbollah detention cell in Beirut's southern suburbs amid Israeli airstrikes in March 2026. He made his way to the Ukrainian Embassy in the upscale Baabda district, where he vanished, sparking a complex spy saga.
Lebanese officials accuse al-Aydi of being part of an Israeli intelligence plot to carry out bombings and assassinations, including a planned attack targeting the one-year commemoration of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah's death. The escape has raised questions about possible government complicity, as the Ukrainian Embassy reportedly requested Lebanese authorities to facilitate his departure, but Lebanon's General Security refused due to an outstanding arrest warrant.
Hezbollah has been cracking down on alleged spy networks since the 2024 war with Israel, convicting about 50 people. Al-Aydi's case is unusual because he is an outsider, unlike many alleged spies who have ties to Hezbollah.
He entered Lebanon from Ethiopia in August 2025. The military court alleges the plot was orchestrated by a Mossad handler in Germany using encrypted apps.
Al-Aydi is believed to have fled Lebanon, possibly to Syria, but his exact whereabouts remain unknown. The incident could exacerbate already strained relations between the Lebanese government and Hezbollah, with the government negotiating directly with Israel while Hezbollah opposes such talks.
Experts say the escape puts the Lebanese state in a difficult position, facing potential backlash from Hezbollah's Shiite base if seen as complicit, or pressure from the U.S. and Ukraine if it refused to let him go.