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 stated that Fadel Z became a foreign operator for the group's drone programme in 2022, initially from Barcelona in Spain. In summer 2023, he began operating 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 in October 2023, Hezbollah reportedly fired rockets and explosive-laden drones at military and civilian targets in Israel.
Fadel Z is accused of purchasing materials worth around €1.4 million for drone construction, using front companies to place orders, and arranging transport of these goods to Lebanon.
Among the items procured were electric and petrol motors used in drones that launched attacks on Israel, including an incident where a drone exploded near a retirement home in Israel on Yom Kippur.
The trial is expected to last until August next year, as tensions between Israel and Hezbollah remain high, following a series of escalated conflicts in the region.
