Lebanon’s military court charged 13 people Friday over a shipment of explosives Hezbollah says belongs to the group, as the government presses to bring armed activity under state control.
Lebanese state media said the charges cover weapons possession, actions against state security and the creation of illegal associations. The case follows authorities’ seizure earlier this month of a truck at the Dahr al-Baydar checkpoint on the route between Beirut and the eastern Bekaa Valley. Judicial officials said it carried 780 kilograms (1,720 pounds) of explosives, including 250 kilograms (550 pounds) each of TNT and C-4.
The seizure led to two arrests; the other 11 people charged have not been apprehended. Authorities have not established the legal names of five defendants, who are identified by nicknames.
Hezbollah acknowledged that the explosives belonged to the group and said they were intended for use against Israel. It asked Lebanese authorities to return the cargo and release the two detainees, calling the charges “unjust.”
The case adds to a dispute over control of arms. On March 2, Lebanon’s Cabinet called on Hezbollah to end its military and security activity and transfer its weapons to the state, a demand covered in an earlier EconoTimes report on the government’s weapons policy. L’Orient Today has reported that Hezbollah’s political opponents have cited the explosives case and a separate army excavation in arguing for an end to the group’s armed structure.
A framework signed by Lebanon and Israel in June links an Israeli withdrawal from parts of southern Lebanon with Hezbollah’s disarmament and deployment of the Lebanese army in the south. Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem rejected the agreement as “null and void,” while Prime Minister Nawaf Salam pledged firm action against weapons outside legal channels. Al Jazeera and the Associated Press also reported that Israeli attacks continued in southern Lebanon, alongside demolitions of homes and infrastructure in dozens of villages Israel occupies.
