Spanish authorities announced Thursday that a joint operation with Germany has resulted in the arrest of four people – three in Spain and one in Germany – on suspicion of working with Hezbollah. The announcement says that the four were allegedly supplying Hezbollah with parts to build kamikaze drones to use against Israel.

The Guardia Civil says that it was alerted by the purchase of large quantities of materials typically used to create drones, including electric guidance components, propulsion propellers, and gasoline engines, from Spanish companies run by Lebanese nationals.

The individual arrested in Germany, Fadel Z, is a Lebanese national who was charged with membership in a terrorist organization abroad contrary to Section 129a, Paragraph 1, No. 1 of the Criminal Code and Section 129b, Paragraph 1, Sentences 1 and 2 of the Criminal Code. The press release says:

Fadel Z. joined Hezbollah as a member in Lebanon in the summer of 2016 at the latest. On behalf of the organization, he has been procuring components for the construction of military drones, particularly engines, in Germany since 2024. These were to be exported to Lebanon and used there in terrorist attacks on Israel.

Hezbollah is a militant group based in Lebanon and has been designated as a terrorist group by many countries, including the United States.

There has been intensified conflict between Lebanon and Israel since the war in Gaza in October 2023. On Monday, the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) reported on the escalating attacks between the two countries, describing the situation as “quite volatile”. In early July, a Hezbollah official said that if there is a ceasefire in Gaza, it would cease its attacks on Israel.