New explosives shipment raises fears of Hezbollah rearmament
Calls grow inside Lebanon for state authorities to disarm the Iran-backed militants.
BEIRUT (JNI) — Lebanese commentators warned this week that a recent seizure of explosives by security forces reflects Hezbollah attempts to rearm, and the urgency of government action to rein in militants.
Lebanon’s armed forces seized 200 kilograms of explosives Monday near Hermel, about 60 miles northeast of Beirut. According to the army, the munitions had been smuggled in a truck from Syria. The army’s statement promised further investigation, but did not name any suspects.
Ibrahim al-Musawi, who represents Hezbollah in Lebanon’s parliament, said later the same day at a press conference, “If it turns out the rumors are true and this truck belongs to the resistance, everyone should know that the resistance is not ashamed.”
“This particular type of explosive, C-4, can detonate very easily,” retired Brigadier General Maroun Khraish told Jusoor. “Where are they going to put it? By law in Lebanon… it can’t be stored in a building or near a building; it has to be at least 400 meters from any residential area and the storage has to meet specifications.”
Khraish cited the 2020 Beirut port blast, in which 235 people were killed by recklessly stored explosives, as an example of the danger posed by non-state actors handling such materials. “Storing or deploying or importing explosives is prohibited for all parties, even Hezbollah, and whoever is responsible has to be held accountable.”
In a statement Monday, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam promised a “full and comprehensive investigation” of the incident. “I understand Lebanese concerns about this seized shipment, especially since it contains C-4 explosives that have been used in a number of infamous political assassinations in Lebanon’s recent history,” he wrote.
One of Salam’s predecessors, Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, was killed in a car bomb in Beirut in 2005; a special United Nations tribunal later convicted Hezbollah members for carrying out the assassination.
Lebanese patience with Hezbollah is running out, Michel Helou, who leads the Lebanese National Bloc party, told Jusoor. “How many more chances should we give Hezbollah? For decades we have hoped for change and improvement, but they just keep on getting worse.”