Hezbollah-affiliated singer accused of spying for Mossad in exchange for Bitcoin

Lebanese authorities are pressing forward with a high-profile espionage investigation involving Mohammad Saleh, a religious singer with known ties to Hezbollah, who is accused of collaborating with Israeli intelligence in exchange for significant financial compensation, including cryptocurrency.

According to judicial sources cited by Al Arabiya, the investigation into Saleh is ongoing and has entered a technical phase, with authorities currently analysing electronic devices seized during his arrest. The data retrieved will be cross-referenced with other intelligence, a process expected to take additional time.

The investigation has already revealed that Saleh allegedly maintained close contact with Israel’s intelligence agency, Mossad, and provided highly sensitive information. In return, he reportedly received large sums of money, some of it in Bitcoin. The information he passed on included the locations and identities of Hezbollah commanders, detailed coordinates of military facilities, and operational plans in southern Lebanon.

Saleh, who comes from a prominent Hezbollah family—his father was a commander and his brother was killed in combat with Israeli forces—had privileged access to the group’s military leadership. His interrogation by Lebanese authorities lasted over a week and uncovered what investigators describe as extensive and damaging cooperation with Mossad.

One of the most explosive allegations is that Saleh’s intelligence directly led to the targeted killing of key Hezbollah figures. According to investigators, he provided the precise coordinates that allowed Israel to carry out a drone strike on March 29 that killed Hassan Bdeir, Hezbollah’s coordinator for Palestinian affairs, along with his son Ali, at their residence in southern Beirut. Saleh also reportedly informed Mossad about the individuals tapped to replace slain commanders, as well as provided photographs of high-ranking Hezbollah members, some of whom were subsequently assassinated.

Lebanese judicial officials stress that Saleh’s case is not an isolated incident. Dozens of suspects are currently being investigated for alleged collaboration with Israel. However, the suspects appear to have been recruited independently, with no visible links between them, suggesting that Israeli intelligence is pursuing individual rather than network-based recruitment strategies.

Saleh has been formally charged by Judge Fadi Akiki with “collaborating with the Israeli enemy, conspiracy, and transferring information that led to the death of civilians.” The case has now been referred to Investigative Judge Fadi Sawan, who is expected to interrogate the suspect and issue a formal arrest warrant.

The charges against Saleh are among the most serious in Lebanese law and, if proven, could result in the death penalty.

By Tamilla Hasanova