Lebanon charges 13 over confiscated Hezbollah explosives

Notably, a Lebanese military court has charged 13 individuals it states are linked to Hezbollah with trafficking explosives, against the backdrop of growing pressure on the Iran-backed group to disarm.

Key points

• But Hezbollah has repeatedly rejected calls to disarm, and the group's chief, Naim Qassem, has dismissed the Lebanon-Israel agreement as "null and void".
• Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam has promised state authorities "will deal with weapons outside the legal framework with the required firmness".
• The individuals were charged on Friday with offences including possessing weapons, undermining state security and forming illegal associations, Lebanese state media documented.
• The charges stem from the seizure earlier this month of a truck transporting explosives at Dahr al-Baydar checkpoint.
• While the 11 others charged remain at substantial, two individuals were arrested during the seizure.

Notably, the individuals were charged on Friday with offences including possessing weapons, undermining state security and forming illegal associations, Lebanese state media documented.

Notably, the charges stem from the seizure earlier this month of a truck transporting explosives at Dahr al-Baydar checkpoint. It links the capital, Beirut, to the eastern Bekaa Valley.

Meanwhile, the vehicle had been carrying 780kg (1, 720 pounds) of explosives, including 250kg (550 pounds) of TNT and 250kg (550 pounds) of C-4 plastic explosives, according to judicial authorities.

While the 11 others charged remain at substantial, two individuals were arrested during the seizure. Five have been identified only by nicknames since their real names are unknown.

Hezbollah has acknowledged owning the seized explosives, saying they were intended for employ against Israel. It continues to occupy substantial parts of southern Lebanon. It remarked it had asked Lebanese authorities to return the shipment and release the two detainees, calling the charges against them "unjust".

Those charged "did not undermine the security or integrity of the state, but rather confronted the Israeli enemy that threatens Lebanon's existence, " remarked Hezbollah Member of Parliament Hussein Hajj Hassan.

Although investigators have not established that the seized shipment was intended for such an attack, hezbollah's political opponents fear that smuggled explosives will be turned against the group's detractors.

Meanwhile, the case comes as pressure mounts on Hezbollah. It has fought two successive wars with Israel and faces a push from authorities in Beirut, to disarm its military wing.

As well as the deployment of the Lebanese army to the south, in June, Lebanon and Israel signed a framework agreement which envisaged Israel's gradual withdrawal from the areas it occupies in southern Lebanon, tied to Hezbollah's disarmament.

Despite its recent framework agreement, Israel has continued carrying out attacks in southern Lebanon and systematically demolishing homes and infrastructure in dozens of villages it occupies.

In short, lebanon charges 13 over confiscated Hezbollah explosives is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.