Hezbollah confirms seized vehicle carrying half a tonne of explosives belonged to group

Hezbollah has acknowledged that a vehicle carrying hundreds of kilograms of explosives intercepted by Lebanese security forces belonged to the militant group, sparking political tension and heightened security concerns across Lebanon.

Lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah, representing the Iran-backed movement, said on Thursday that the group immediately reached out to domestic authorities to claim the transport after it was halted. He stated that the munitions were strictly reserved for resisting Israeli occupation forces, maintaining that the organization directs its arsenal solely against Israel. Fadlallah called for the release of two detained individuals and demanded the return of both the vehicle and its cargo.

The interception occurred at an Internal Security Forces checkpoint at Dahr Al Baidar in the Bekaa Valley, where personnel stopped a Beirut-bound vehicle containing roughly 250 kilograms of TNT alongside 250 kilograms of C-4 military explosives. The incident marks one of three similar seizures reported within recent weeks, including a border interdiction on Monday in which Lebanese troops confiscated 200 kilograms of explosives smuggled across the frontier from Syria in the Hermel area.

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam warned that the state would show zero tolerance toward any attempts to compromise national stability, noting that the inquiry would proceed without leniency. Addressing public anxiety, Salam pointed out that C-4 had historically been deployed in prominent political assassinations in Lebanon, a history that includes the 2005 truck bombing that killed former Prime Minister Rafic Hariri.

Fadlallah rejected the premier's statements, describing them as provocative rhetoric designed to create domestic divisions. He also dismissed previous state measures attempting to prohibit Hezbollah's military functions, asserting that such restrictions hold no validity for the movement.

The discovery has intensified demands from political factions seeking to enforce state control over all weaponry within the country. While military prosecutors are currently overseeing the investigation, cabinet ministers are expected to advocate for transferring the proceedings to the Judicial Council, a top body tasked with national security offenses.

Hezbollah has firmly rejected calls to surrender its arms, insisting that negotiations regarding its military capacity cannot occur until Israeli forces cease operations against Lebanon and pull back from disputed border zones. The dispute follows extended hostilities linked to wider regional confrontations, which escalated sharply after cross-border strikes in March, triggering massive Israeli bombardments across southern Lebanon that caused extensive casualties and displacement. Despite mediation efforts led by the United States, negotiations between the two nations have yielded little breakthrough regarding military disengagement or troop withdrawals.