BEIRUT: A Lebanese judge on Tuesday ordered two Hezbollah officials to appear for questioning over their alleged involvement in a delivery of explosives seized by authorities this month, a judicial official told AFP.
Lebanese authorities had been carrying out investigations after arresting two suspected Hezbollah members accused of transporting half a ton of explosives, which the Iran-backed group subsequently said were part of its “capabilities” to be used against Israel.
They were caught on October 8 at a security checkpoint in Dahr Al-Baidar in Lebanon’s east in a vehicle headed toward Beirut, with a source telling AFP that one was the son of a Hezbollah official and the other was also a group member.
The judicial official, requesting anonymity, told AFP that the judge on Tuesday ordered two Hezbollah officials to appear for questioning “after initial investigations... established their identities.”
Security agencies are working to locate them and take them into custody, the official added.
Last week, Hezbollah lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah said the explosives belonged to the militant group, demanding the shipment be returned and calling for those arrested to be released, in a rare admission by the group.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio subsequently urged Lebanon not to return the explosives.
Lebanese authorities have announced the seizure of three large shipments of explosives this month alone.
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam has vowed that authorities “will deal with weapons outside the legal framework with the required firmness.”
President Joseph Aoun on Saturday said the army and security forces were “implementing the government’s decisions on extending the state’s authority... and confiscating weapons and ammunition.”
“Violators are referred to the judiciary, which carries out its duties fully in applying the law and the political authorities’ decisions,” he added.
Lebanese authorities last year committed to disarming Hezbollah after months of cross-border hostilities culminated in a 2024 war between the group and Israel.
But Hezbollah drew Lebanon into the Middle East war this year by attacking Israel, which responded with heavy strikes and a ground invasion.
In June, Lebanese and Israeli authorities signed a framework agreement which involves the disarmament of Hezbollah, a gradual Israeli withdrawal from territories it occupies, and the deployment of the Lebanese army to the area.
Hezbollah, the only militant group that refused to disarm after Lebanon’s 1975-1990 civil war, has rejected surrendering its weapons and the direct negotiations with Israel.