Federal prosecutors in Germany said Hezbollah has been operating a “long-standing and extensive drone program” supported by a covert procurement network across Europe, as a Lebanese national went on trial Tuesday in Celle on charges of supplying components used in attacks against Israel.

According to the Federal Prosecutor’s Office, Hezbollah has relied on foreign operatives stationed outside Lebanon to secretly purchase drone motors, propellers, guidance systems, and other equipment from suppliers in Europe, China, and the United States, before exporting them to Lebanon via Hamburg and Spanish ports or by air freight. By June 2024, prosecutors said, the group had amassed an arsenal of more than 10,000 drones, which have been used systematically against Israeli military and civilian sites—particularly following Hamas’s October 7 attacks in 2023.

The indictment centers on Fadel Z., a Lebanese man identified only by his initials under German privacy laws, who prosecutors say played a pivotal role in that network. He is accused of membership in a terrorist organization, violating an EU export ban, and aiding and abetting attempted murder for supplying components that were ultimately used in cross-border attacks.

Prosecutors allege that Fadel Z. had been involved with Hezbollah for more than a decade, initially working in public relations before transitioning in 2022 to drone procurement, first from Barcelona and later from Germany. Until his arrest in July 2024, he allegedly purchased drone parts worth roughly €1.4 million, including more than 2,000 gasoline and electric motors and over 600 propellers, using front companies registered in his name or those of associates. Funds were routed through the same shell firms to conceal the buyers’ ties to Hezbollah, prosecutors said.

Investigators say he arranged for the equipment to be shipped to Lebanon by container vessel from Hamburg or Spanish ports, or by air. According to prosecutors, two engines acquired by the defendant were used in explosive-laden drones fired at Israel, including a Yom Kippur attack on October 11, 2024, when a drone struck a retirement home in Herzliya that houses about 200 residents. The device detonated inside the building but caused no injuries. Prosecutors argue that facilitating the procurement of parts used in that attack constitutes aiding and abetting attempted murder.

The case stems from a broader European crackdown on Hezbollah-linked procurement networks. Authorities first detected signs of the operation in mid-2024, when Spain’s Civil Guard flagged unusual purchases of drone components made through Spanish shell companies controlled by Lebanese nationals. A months-long probe uncovered a sophisticated multinational network spanning Spain, Germany, France, and the United Kingdom. In April 2025, Le Figaro reported that the scheme aimed to supply Hezbollah with enough materials to build explosive UAVs.

Federal prosecutors said the Celle trial is part of ongoing efforts to dismantle Hezbollah’s supply chains in Europe. Their office recently announced the arrest of a Lebanon-born man accused of belonging to a Hamas cell plotting attacks on Israeli or Jewish sites in Germany; another suspect was detained in London at Germany’s request.