According to a Shin Bet statement, Hizran planned to gather information on military sites in Israel, a mission it deemed “proof that Hezbollah is preparing for the next war with Israel and is marking out a “target bank”.
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Swedish news agency TT said the suspect was arrested in Tel Aviv on July 21 on suspicion of having collected information about Israeli military facilities that the militant group planned to target. She said Hizran was born in Lebanon to Palestinian refugees from the Upper Galilee in northern Israel, and was badly hurt during the 1982 Israel-Lebanon war. He also was asked to gather information about military bases and places where army personnel gather, as well as where weapons and tanks are stored.
An indictment was filed against Hizran Sunday morning with the Lod Magistrate Court and the gag order on his arrest was lifted.
According to the indictment, despite pressure from Hezbollah to enlist Israeli Arabs, Hizran was initially reluctant, saying he did not want to put his friends in Israel in jeopardy.
He is charged with a string of security-related offences, including contact with a foreign agent and transferring information.
Lea Tsemel, Hizran’s lawyer, said her client did not carry out any of Hezbollah’s requests and that he was visiting Israel for personal reasons.
“Hizran’s activities prove the attractiveness for Hezbollah in activating foreign citizens who have access to Lebanon and Israel, out of an assumption that they can travel in Israel freely”, the Shin Bet stated.
Hizran is said to have received $3,100 for his cooperation with Hezbollah in recent years.
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“Hezbollah’s interest in the entry process and inspections in Ben Gurion Airport indicates Hezbollah’s desire to identify the loopholes in the process, which will allow it to get its people into Israel undisturbed and without falling under suspicion”, the Shin Bet statement Bet said.
