The preliminary investigation into Israel's claimed kidnapping of a Lebanese man described as a Hezbollah “agent” indicates that the Israeli army used a boat capable of disrupting the radars of UNIFIL, the UN force deployed in Lebanon, informed AFP on Tuesday from a judicial source.
Israel confirmed on Saturday that it had captured a “high-ranking Hezbollah operative” during an operation led by an elite navy unit in Batroun, north of Beirut, after a military source in Lebanon reported the kidnapping of a “civilian” by a “naval commando”.
The kidnapped man, Imad Amhaz, is around 30 years old. A source close to the matter in Batroun assured AFP that he would follow training at the Institute of Maritime Sciences and Technology (Marsati) and resided in the Institute's accommodation.
The preliminary investigation showed that “the operation was carried out with precision and speed and was prepared in a professional manner,” the judicial source said on Tuesday.
“According to the investigation, the Israeli army used a fast military boat equipped with advanced devices capable of disrupting radars,” of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), responsible for monitoring the Lebanese coasts, he said. -she added.
Germany has assumed command of the UNIFIL naval force since 2021. According to its website, this force is responsible for supporting the Lebanese Navy in monitoring its territorial waters, ensuring coastal security and preventing the entry of weapons or related materials into Lebanon by sea, without authorization.
The source described the incident as “a war crime leading to a violation of national sovereignty and the kidnapping of a Lebanese citizen […] especially since the crime was committed in a safe zone, spared from the conflict between pro-Iranian Hezbollah and Israel which has turned into open war since the end of September.
The Lebanese side “cannot subject UNIFIL forces to an investigation nor ask them to provide information or images monitored by its radars because they benefit from immunity”, she continued.
