Rubio presses Lebanon's Aoun on seizing explosives linked to Hezbollah

Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun told US Secretary of State Marco Rubio that Lebanese security forces are fully carrying out their duties to confiscate illicit arms across the country, the Lebanese Presidential Palace said after a telephone call on Thursday.

The call centred on a shipment of explosives that Lebanon says was intended for use against Israel. Last week, a truck carrying 780kg (1,720lb) of explosives was intercepted on the highway between Beirut and the eastern Bekaa Valley.

Hezbollah acknowledges link to shipment

Hezbollah lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah acknowledged on Thursday that the group was connected to the shipment, telling reporters at the Lebanese parliament that the materials were intended for operations against Israel. He said Hezbollah had immediately contacted security agencies to clarify ownership of the vehicle and its cargo, and demanded that the materials be returned and detained personnel released.

A State Department official told US media that Rubio urged Aoun to hold accountable those who ordered, financed and directed the shipment, warning that “returning explosives to [Hezbollah] should be out of the question”. The official said Rubio also advocated direct military-to-military communication between Lebanese and Israeli forces “for deconfliction”.

The Presidential Palace said Aoun asked Rubio to press Israel to halt its attacks and destruction in southern Lebanon. Separately on Thursday, Rubio spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about Iran, according to Israeli media reports.

Investigation promised

On Monday, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam confirmed that Lebanon would conduct an investigation to track down members of Hezbollah linked to the incident. Judicial officials told The Associated Press news agency that the truck was carrying 780kg of explosives, including 250kg (550lb) of TNT and 550lb of C4 plastic explosives. Salam described the transport as a “criminal operation” and praised security forces for intercepting the vehicle on the strategic highway linking Beirut with the Bekaa Valley.

For years Hezbollah moved weapons freely across parts of the country. In March, the Lebanese government declared all military activities by the group illegal. Despite the government's pledge to bring all weaponry under state control, the group has stated its intention to continue transporting arms in its confrontation with Israel.

Earlier this spring, Lebanese and Israeli envoys met in Washington under the auspices of Rubio, marking the first direct diplomatic contact between the two nations in decades. Israel has repeatedly violated the November 2024 ceasefire deal between it and Hezbollah, with Lebanon frequently reporting civilian casualties, and heavy Israeli attacks continue across southern Lebanon, where dozens of villages have been demolished and large areas remain under Israeli military occupation despite a framework agreement signed in June.

Source: Al Jazeera.