Germany arrests suspected Hezbollah member for procuring drone parts

A suspected member of the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah has been arrested in Germany, accused of procuring components for drones believed to be used in attacks on Israel, German prosecutors said Monday.

The Lebanese man named as Fadel Z was detained on Sunday, federal prosecutors said in a statement.

He was "strongly suspected of membership of a foreign terrorist organisation," the prosecutors said.

The man is believed to have "procured components, particularly engines for the assembly of drones" which "were supposed to be exported to Lebanon and used in terrorist attacks on Israel," they added.

The prosecutors added that the man was suspected of having joined Hezbollah "no later than in summer 2016" and that he was apprehended in the town of Salzgitter in Lower Saxony state.

The Israeli military has been trading regular cross-border fire with Hezbollah since early October.

The Shiite Muslim movement has been supporting its ally Hamas since the Palestinian militant group's October 7 attack on Israel triggered war in the Gaza Strip.

Hezbollah's military wing is classed as a terrorist organisation by the United States, the European Union and Britain.

Germany considers Hezbollah a "Shiite terrorist organisation" and in 2020 banned Hezbollah from carrying out activities on its soil.

Germany, influenced by its own World War II history when millions of Jews were killed by the Nazis, has steadfastly backed Israel following the October 7 attack.

However there have also been voices, particularly from the political left, condemning the civilian death toll inflicted by Israel's campaign in Gaza and demanding a ceasefire.