Lebanese Military Court Indicts 13 Hezbollah Members Over Seized Explosives

The Lebanese Military Court has formally charged 13 members of Hezbollah in connection with a half-ton shipment of explosives seized earlier this month. Judge Claude Ghanem issued the indictment over the weekend, citing the interception of a vehicle traveling toward Beirut that contained 250 kilograms of TNT-type explosives and 250 kilograms of C4. The two operatives arrested inside the vehicle, identified by Lebanese media as Ali Al Kurdi and Haitham Amhaz, remain in custody. The other 11 defendants are being charged in absentia.

The defendants face accusations of endangering state security, defying government decisions, membership in a banned organization, and possessing firearms and explosives. The National News Agency reported that the group could face up to 10 years in prison. This sentencing potential contrasts with recent judicial actions. In March, the Military Court, then presided over by Judge Wassim Fayad, released four Hezbollah members on a symbolic bail of $21 after only six days in detention for possessing illegal weapons.

The explosives were discovered at a checkpoint in Dahr al-Baidar in the Bekaa Valley. The seizure raised immediate concerns that the materials were intended for a political assassination. Several Lebanese commentators noted that the types of explosives matched those used in the truck bombing that killed former prime minister Rafic Hariri. The Special Tribunal for Lebanon later determined that Hezbollah members were responsible for that attack, which killed 22 people and wounded hundreds. Hezbollah maintained that the seized explosives were destined for Israel.

Hezbollah has demanded the release of its operatives and the return of the seized materials, but both requests were rejected. The parliamentary bloc’s MP, Hussein Hajj Hassan, criticized the charges as unfair and unjust. He alleged the indictment violated the National Pact, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the United Nations Charter. "The detainees and the other defendants were performing a national duty in defense of their country and the sovereignty of the state, and to protect the Lebanese people," Hajj Hassan said. He added that the fighters were confronting the Israeli enemy and were not in a position to harm the state.

Recent polling indicates that most Lebanese want Hezbollah disarmed and for the elected government to hold sole authority over military decisions. The legal action coincides with public pressure on the group’s influence. Foreign Minister Joe Rajji spoke on Saturday at the Manama Dialogue in Bahrain. He stated that Lebanon would no longer allow its territory to be used to threaten the security of Arab countries. "Foreign policy is decided in Beirut, and national security is exclusively the responsibility of the state," Rajji said. He argued that Lebanon has suffered from the instrumentalization of armed organizations for foreign interests.

The incident occurs as Israel awaits evidence that Beirut can contain the threat posed by Hezbollah. This evidence is part of efforts to secure a lasting ceasefire. The court has not yet scheduled a trial date for the 13 defendants.