World

Lebanon Courts Charge 13 Alleged Hezbollah Members Over 780‑kg Explosive Seizure

By Al Jazeera Staff

A Lebanese military court has charged 13 individuals it says are linked to Hezbollah with trafficking explosives, amid mounting pressure on the Iran‑backed group to disarm. The charges, announced on Friday, include possession of weapons, undermining state security and forming illegal associations, according to Lebanese state media. They stem from the seizure earlier this month of a truck at the Dahr al‑Baydar checkpoint, which connects Beirut to the eastern Bekaa Valley. The vehicle carried 780 kg (1,720 lb) of explosives, including 250 kg (550 lb) of TNT and 250 kg (550 lb) of C‑4 plastic explosives, judicial officials said. Two people were arrested during the seizure; the remaining 11 charged are at large, five of whom are known only by nicknames. Hezbollah acknowledged ownership of the seized explosives and said they were intended for use against Israel, which still occupies large parts of southern Lebanon. The group asked authorities to return the shipment and release the two detainees, calling the charges “unjust.” Hezbollah Member of Parliament Hussein Hajj Hassan said the accused “did not undermine the security or integrity of the state, but rather confronted the Israeli enemy that threatens Lebanon’s existence.” Hezbollah’s political opponents fear the smuggled explosives could be turned against the group’s detractors, although investigators have not established that the seized shipment was intended for such an attack. The case comes as pressure mounts on Hezbollah to disarm its military wing. In June, Lebanon and Israel signed a framework agreement that envisaged Israel’s gradual withdrawal from occupied areas in southern Lebanon, tied to Hezbollah’s disarmament and the deployment of the Lebanese army to the south. Hezbollah has repeatedly rejected calls to disarm, and its chief, Naim Qassem, has dismissed the Lebanon‑Israel agreement as “null and void.” Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam has promised that state authorities will deal with weapons outside the legal framework with the required firmness. Despite the framework agreement, Israel has continued attacks in southern Lebanon and has systematically demolished homes and infrastructure in dozens of occupied villages.