Israeli spy confesses to Nasrallah assassination plot

Ziad Homsi, arrested in Lebanon, admitted that he had been tasked with meeting with the Hezbollah leader "so that Israel could follow Homsi's route from his home town to the place where he would meet Nasrallah," the Lebanese daily As-Safir reported.

Following the assignment by Israeli intelligence officials, Homsi requested an appointment with Nasrallah for reasons he told Hezbollah officials he wished to keep private.

The Israeli spy was then told to report immediately to the Israeli officials once a time and place for the meeting was set.

Homsi, however, was arrested before being able to fulfill the task.

According to Lebanon's Internal Security Forces director, Maj.-Gen. Ashraf Rifi, Hosmi was "a very important agent" in the Israeli espionage network spanned in Lebanon.

Rifi said in addition to Homsi, several other agents had tried to determine Nasrallah's location.

The report comes as Lebanese media is reporting that Israel has stepped up its long-sought efforts to assassinate the popular Hezbollah leader.

"A decision was taken in Israel to assassinate Nasrallah, and many states have conspired with Israel on this front," Israeli daily Ynet quoted Hezbollah official Nawaf al-Musawi as saying Friday.

Lebanon has intensified an anti-espionage crackdown in the country and arrested almost 30 suspects on charges of spying for Israel.

According to Rifi "a large number of agents may have fled from Lebanon with the beginning of the collapse and dismantling of the networks."

Nasrallah said Friday that the spies were tasked with carrying out certain activities including political assassinations and bombings. He also called for all-out efforts to expose the Israeli spy networks in the country.