Reuters reported on 9 August that a 55-year-old man, Khalil Hizran, had been charged by Israel on three counts of spying for the Shia militant group Hizbullah. Hizran, who was born in Lebanon of Palestinian descent but is a Swedish citizen, was arrested on 21 July as he arrived at Ben Gurion International Airport. He faces charges of handing over information to Hizbullah, having contact with a foreign agent, and accepting funds from the group. The Times of Israel cited a statement released by the Israeli security service Shin Bet, which claimed that Hizran had been asked by Hizbullah to gather information on Israeli military facilities and security at Ben Gurion Airport. According to Shin Bet, this was "proof that Hizbullah is preparing for the next war with Israel and is marking out a target bank". Shin Bet alleges that Hizran was given the job of recruiting Israelis to Hizbullah, with a focus on people with close ties to the military or the government.
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