Mossad spy reached Hezbollah’s upper ranks, Arab media report

Ron Kampeas

(JTA) — Arab media are reporting that Hezbollah uncovered a Mossad spy in its upper ranks.

The reports have named Mohammed Shorbah, a Lebanese businessman who succeeded Imad Mughniyeh, the operations chief assassinated in 2008 in a Syrian car bomb attack, as the agent for Israel’s intelligence agency. Hezbollah blames the Mughniyeh killing on Israel.

Shorbah was arrested last week, according to the reports, which were translated this week by the Israeli media.

Hezbollah, the terrorist group that launched a war against Israel in 2006, believes Shorbah was responsible for helping to plot the assassination of Mughniyeh and another senior Hezbollah official in 2013, and helped authorities arrest Hezbollah agents who planned attacks in Thailand, Peru and Cyprus.

Separately, Israeli President Reuven Rivlin and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu honored exceptional Mossad agents, including a woman in her 20s who infiltrated deep into the society of an enemy country.

“This young warrior took part in critical and daring Mossad with substantial risk to her life, and represents an outstanding example to the young generation,” Mossad said in a statement ahead of the ceremony on Thursday, Ynet reported.