Kidnap or rescue: Was 'Hezbollah operative' taken by Israel from Batroun a double agent?
A Lebanese ship captain abducted by Israeli special forces may have been acting as a double agent, Britain’s The Telegraph newspaper has suggested.
Imad Ahmaz, described by the Israeli military as a “senior Hezbollah operative,” was extracted from a residential building in Batroun on Friday.
At least 12 naval commandos from Shayetet 13 – Israel’s version of the U.S. Navy’s SEALs – were involved in the dramatic raid, which was launched from an unknown location in the Mediterranean sea, the newspaper said.
The Israeli military said in a statement that the “operative” had been transferred to Israeli territory, where he was being investigated by a military unit.
However, intelligence experts have questioned whether Ahmaz had been serving as a double agent given that the extraction was markedly different from recent operations on Hezbollah targets carried out by Israel.
The operation took place in a residential building just yards from the seafront, and just 400 meters from the Batroun Marina, a popular tourist destination.
The commandos, who were ferried on speedboats, reportedly told residents that they were Lebanese security forces, before breaking down the door to Ahmaz’s apartment.
“I did not see their faces, just shadows and voices. They said they were from state security,” a resident told the New York Times.
A senior political figure in Lebanon, who opposes Hezbollah, told The Telegraph on the condition of anonymity that there were “signs pointing to the fact that (Ahmaz) could have been a double agent.”
“But he was also believed to be deeply involved in sea smuggling routes and financing, which could make him a valuable asset to Israel, and it would be more valuable to keep him alive,” the official added.
Batroun is believed to be the furthest north Israeli forces have ventured during the latest military offensive against Hezbollah fighters in Lebanon.
While uncommon, it would not be the first time Israel had extracted and interrogated senior Hezbollah and Hamas operatives.
Dozens of high-level Hamas figures have been captured since Oct. 7 2023, providing Israeli officials with intelligence that has led to the rescue of hostages being held by the group.
But Israel’s operations against Hezbollah have largely focused on taking out senior leaders and fighters in massive air strikes, primarily targeting the country’s southern stronghold, where the group is largely based.
Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah’s long-time leader, was killed in such a strike two months ago.
Days before his killing, over 1,500 Hezbollah members were taken out of action after an Israeli operation saw pagers and walkie-talkies belonging to them explode.
Ronen Solomon, an Israeli defense and intelligence analyst who is an expert on Hezbollah operatives and operations, told The Telegraph that Friday’s abduction was highly unusual.
Some items found in Ahmaz’s room included SIM cards from different countries, multiple passports, and an old-fashioned Nokia phone, which may indicate he had been working as a spy, according to Solomon.
Ahmaz could have been working as a senior operative in a Hezbollah unit that specialized in transporting weapons and electronics used in the fight against Israel, he suggested.
“But also, because of his position, he could also have been recruited as a double agent for Israel and the rescue was to get him to safety outside Lebanon,” Solomon added.
Ahmaz’s family telecommunications business, Stars Group Holding based in Beirut, was sanctioned by the U.S. in 2014.
The US Treasury department accused the business of “illicit activities” through the transportation of communications devices to Hezbollah factories in Lebanon, via countries such as China and the UAE.
“Ahmaz maybe recruited the family for this kind of operation,” Solomon added.
An Israeli security source, speaking on the condition of anonymity, repeated Solomon’s belief that the items found in Ahmaz’s room were as interesting as the abduction itself.
“Things like USBs that were left with maybe critical data on which could have helped Israel. You have to ask why they were left behind when such operations in Gaza saw all pieces of intelligence retrieved at the same time,” the source said.
The source also said it was also unusual that the CCTV around Ahmaz’s location had not been disabled “unless someone wanted it to be videoed.”
Ali Hamieh, Lebanon’s minister of public works and transport, said that Ahmaz was a civilian ship captain taking a course at a maritime institute in Batroun.
Lebanon’s caretaker prime minister, Najib Mikati, said he had ordered the government to file a complaint to the U.N. Security Council over the abduction, citing the violation of Lebanon’s sovereignty.
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