Report: Lebanon arrests Israeli who swam across border

Man reportedly wearing diving suit at time of arrest in Naqoura beach. Al-Hayat also reports Egyptian citizen, his Lebanese wife arrested on suspicion of collaborating with Israel

Roee Nahmias|Published: 09.27.11 , 11:51

Lebanese security forces arrested an Arab-Israeli citizen at the Naqoura beach area who had swam across the border from Nahariya, London-based newspaper al-Hayat reported Tuesday. According to the report, the man was wearing a diving suit at the time of his arrest and was taken into questioning.

It was also reported that Lebanese intelligence forces arrested an Egyptian citizen and his Lebanese wife on suspicion they collaborated with Israel's intelligence service.

The two were being monitored for some time before it was decided to arrest them. During his interrogation, the suspect admitted to holding contact with Israeli intelligence since 1999 and entering the country three times. He said he received funds in exchange for "security services."

Last week, it was reported that a senior Hezbollah militant went missing and according to Lebanese sources, his disappearance may be connected to the arrest of four people suspected of collaborating with Israel.

According to the Lebanese sources, the said Hezbollah member, who serves in the organization's command room, disappeared from his home in the district of Dahiya, south of Beirut, last week.

If the reports prove to be true, this may be the highest ranking Hezbollah militant to have been attributed such allegation, as he was one of the members summoned to give testimony in front of the International Criminal Tribunal for Lebanon, which investigated the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.