Overview
- The military court charged 13 people on Friday, referring the cases to an investigative judge and listing offences such as endangering state security, membership of a banned group, and possession of explosives.
- Authorities stopped a truck at a Bekaa Valley checkpoint earlier this month and seized roughly half a tonne of explosives reported to include TNT and C‑4.
- Two suspects remain in custody while the other defendants were charged in absentia or named by aliases as the court moves to issue arrest warrants.
- Hezbollah acknowledged the shipment and has demanded the return of the explosives and the release of detainees while the government has refused and foreign diplomats reportedly urged that the materials not be handed back.
- The case follows a March government decision to outlaw Hezbollah’s military activity and raises the risk of political escalation, increased judicial scrutiny, and impacts on civilians living near flashpoints in southern Lebanon.