The flag of Hezbollah flies in Syria. Photo: Hezbollah Flag/Wikimedia Commons.

JNS.org – Israel’s Shin Bet security agency on Sunday announced the arrest of Khalil Hizran, a 55-year-old Swedish man of Lebanese descent who admitted to working for the Hezbollah terrorist group.

Hizran—arrested July 21 at Ben Gurion Airport and indicted on three counts related to terrorism and espionage—is suspected of gathering information on Israeli military facilities. The Shin Bet said Hezbollah “is preparing for the next war with Israel and is marking out a ‘target bank.’”

According to the Shin Bet, during Hizran’s family visit to Lebanon six years ago, Hezbollah members had informed him that they were looking to recruit Palestinians living in Europe to use their European passports to enter Israel and spy for Hezbollah. Hizran allegedly received $3,100 for his cooperation with Hezbollah in recent years. But his lawyer, Leah Tsemel, told Reuters that Hizran “refused any request to harm Israel’s security.”