Lebanon charges 13 Hezbollah members over explosive shipment amid push to curb Iran's influence

Lebanon's Military Court charged 13 Hezbollah members over a half-ton shipment of explosives seized at a checkpoint in the Bekaa Valley. Two operatives remain in custody. Hezbollah demanded the return of the explosives and release of its operatives, both rejected. Foreign Minister Joe Rajji pushed back against Iranian influence.

Lebanon's Military Court has charged 13 Hezbollah members in connection with a half-ton shipment of explosives seized from a vehicle traveling toward Beirut earlier this month. Judge Claude Ghanem issued charges against the 13, including the two operatives arrested in the vehicle, identified as Ali Al Kurdi and Haitham Amhaz, who remain in custody. The defendants face charges of endangering state security, defying government decisions, membership in a banned organization, and possessing firearms and explosives. The National News Agency reported they could face up to 10 years in prison, though the article notes that Lebanese military courts have previously handed down lenient sentences to Hezbollah operatives. The explosives were discovered at a checkpoint in Dahr al-Baidar in the Bekaa Valley, prompting concerns they could have been intended for a political assassination. Hezbollah claimed the explosives were destined for Israel, but several Lebanese commentators noted the materials matched those used in the truck bombing that killed former prime minister Rafic Hariri. Hezbollah has demanded the release of its operatives and return of the 250 kilograms of TNT-type explosives and 250 kilograms of C4, both rejected. The incident comes as Jerusalem awaits evidence that Beirut can contain Hezbollah as part of ceasefire efforts. Hezbollah MP Hussein Hajj Hassan criticized the charges as 'unfair and unjust.' Separately, Foreign Minister Joe Rajji publicly pushed back against Iran's influence, stating Lebanon would no longer allow its territory to be used to threaten Arab countries.