A Lebanese man has gone on trial in Celle, northern Germany, accused of being a member of Hezbollah - a Shia Muslim group whose military wing is proscribed as a terrorist organisation by the EU.
The 35 year-old man, named only as Fadel Z, in line with German privacy laws, is charged with having played a key role in procuring products for Hezbollah's drone programme.
The German Federal Prosecutor's Office said Fadel Z joined Hezbollah more than 10 years ago, first working in public relations.
In a statement, prosecutors said Fadel Z became a 'foreign operator' for the group's drone programme in 2022, initially from Barcelona, Spain. In the summer of 2023, he began operations from Germany.
According to the statement by prosecutors, Hezbollah has been running 'an extensive drone programme for some time'. Following Hamas's attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023, prosecutors claimed Hezbollah systematically fired rockets and explosive-laden drones at both military and civilian targets in Israel, accumulating over 10,000 drone units by June 2024.
Fadel Z is accused of purchasing materials and products valued at around €1.4 million for drone construction until his arrest in July 2024. The investigation revealed that he used front companies to order more than 2,000 petrol and electric motors and over 600 propellers from companies across Europe, China, and the US.
Prosecutors indicated some of the engines purchased were employed in explosive drones that targeted Israel, including one drone that struck a retirement home in Herzliya during Yom Kippur.
This trial is significant in light of recent conflicts between Israel and Hezbollah, especially following the attacks initiated in October 2023 in response to events in Gaza. The trial is expected to last until August 2025.
