Lebanon's Mossad hysteria: Palestinians with Israeli phone country code spark fear in Beirut

Lebanese officials dismissed rumors that two Mossad spies had been captured in Beirut as 'fake news' on Sunday, after the detention of two Palestinians whose Israeli phone numbers sparked panic. PM Nawaf Salam condemned 'moral bankruptcy' around the incident, while his office blamed hostile parties for fueling the story. Security forces found the men had entered Lebanon legally. The incident highlights growing anxieties about Mossad activity in Lebanon since the 2024 pager plot.

Lebanese officials on Sunday dismissed rumors that two Israeli Mossad spies had been captured in Beirut, calling the reports 'fake news' after the detention of two Palestinians whose phone numbers carried Israeli country codes sparked panic. Prime Minister Nawaf Salam condemned what he described as 'moral bankruptcy' surrounding the incident, according to a statement from his office. Salam's office said hostile parties had fueled the rumors in a 'cheap attempt to tarnish the reputation of the President of the Council of Ministers and mislead public opinion.' Security forces investigated the two men from Ramallah and found both had entered Lebanon legally and had visited the country previously. The Lebanese outlet Beirut Time reported claims that two Mossad agents had been staying at the Lancaster Eden Bay hotel under Turkish passports. Suspicion arose after the two men used Israeli phone numbers to make a hotel reservation; an Uber driver and hotel staff contacted authorities. Rumors then circulated that Salam had deported the men rather than detaining them, sparking outrage among anti-Israel voices. The article notes that anxieties about Mossad activity in Lebanon have grown since the pager plot of September 2024, when thousands of rigged pagers exploded across Lebanon and Syria, wounding and killing thousands of Hezbollah members and some civilians.