Hezbollah says explosives seized by authorities belong to group

Lebanon's Hezbollah leader has admitted that the group possessed a 500kg shipment of explosives seized by authorities last week, marking a rare acknowledgment by the Iran-backed militants. The vehicle and its cargo were reportedly bound for Hezbollah's resistance against Israel. Lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah called for the immediate release of those arrested over the seizure and the return of the shipment, which he described as capabilities used by Hezbollah against Israel.

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam stated that the state will no longer tolerate possession of illegal weapons, and a judicial source confirmed the explosives were part of a criminal operation. The explosives seized included 250kg of TNT and 250kg of C-4, a type previously used in political assassinations in Lebanon. Hezbollah, once a dominant political force in Lebanon, has been weakened by two wars against Israel since 2023.

The Lebanese army has also seized other explosives shipments in the east of the country near the border with Syria since the beginning of the month.