Lebanese military court prosecutors charged 13 individuals on October 30, 2026, after security forces seized a truck carrying up to 800 kilograms of TNT and C-4 explosives belonging to Hezbollah. While two suspects are in custody, Hezbollah defended the shipment as intended for fighting Israeli forces and demanded its return. The case has ignited political conflict in Beirut, leading several cabinet ministers to boycott meetings to demand referral to the Judicial Council amid escalating efforts to disarm armed factions.
Military court charges and penalties
- ▪Lebanese military court charges issued on October 30, 2026 against 13 suspects in the Hezbollah explosives truck case carry potential penalties of up to 10 years' imprisonment.
- ▪Lebanese military court Government Commissioner Judge Claude Ghanem charged 13 individuals in connection with a seized truck carrying explosives belonging to Hezbollah
- ▪The October 30, 2026 military court charges against 13 individuals included endangering internal state security, possessing unauthorized weapons and explosives, and forming illegal armed groups to undermine state authority.
Status and identities of suspects
- ▪Lebanese military court prosecutors identified detained suspects in the October 2026 Hezbollah explosives truck case as Haitham Ahmad Amhaz and Ali Shawqi Al-Kurdi.
- ▪Of the 13 individuals charged by Lebanese military court prosecutors on October 30, 2026, two suspects are in custody and 11 remain at large.
- ▪On October 30, 2026, Lebanese military court prosecutors named six suspects subject to search notices in the Hezbollah explosives truck case, including Russian national Yelena Novo Bghvini Krishinova.
Seizure of the explosives truck
- ▪In October 2026, Lebanese security forces intercepted a truck carrying 780 to 800 kilograms of explosives, including 250 kilograms of TNT and 250 kilograms of C-4 plastic explosives, at the Dahr Al-Baidar checkpoint.
- ▪The seized truck in October 2026 was transporting explosives along the main highway connecting the Bekaa Valley and Baalbek to Beirut.
Military judicial proceedings
- ▪The preliminary investigation into the October 2026 Hezbollah explosives shipment was conducted by Lebanese Army Intelligence and the Internal Security Forces Information Branch before referral to Judge Claude Ghanem.
- ▪Following preliminary investigations, the October 2026 Hezbollah explosives case was expected to be referred to Lebanon's first military investigating judge to conduct further questioning and issue arrest warrants.
Judicial stance on prosecution
- ▪Judicial sources stated that Lebanese prosecutors concluded the October 2026 explosives shipment was managed by an organized network operating outside state authority rather than an isolated smuggling operation.
- ▪A judicial source stated that political or partisan immunity would not prevent judicial proceedings in the October 2026 Hezbollah explosives case when civil peace and public stability are at stake.
Hezbollah's response and demands
- ▪On October 30, 2026, Hezbollah Member of Parliament Hussein Hajj Hassan denounced the military court charges as politically motivated and lacking basis in Lebanese law.
- ▪Hezbollah Member of Parliament Hassan Fadlallah and the organization demanded that Lebanese authorities return the seized explosives shipment and release the two detained Hezbollah operatives.
- ▪Hezbollah acknowledged ownership of the explosives seized in October 2026, stating they were intended for operations against Israeli forces in southern Lebanon.
Political and international responses
- ▪U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called Lebanese President Joseph Aoun to urge that Lebanese authorities refuse Hezbollah's demands to return the seized explosives.
- ▪Lebanese ministers, including Justice Minister Adel Nassar and Foreign Minister Youssef Raggi, boycotted a cabinet meeting
- ▪Lebanese Forces party president Samir Geagea criticized Hezbollah on October 29, 2026 as an organization operating outside the law and called for immediate judicial prosecution.
- ▪Lebanese Justice Minister Adel Nassar warned that Hezbollah's transport of explosives threatened national security and civil peace beyond basic hazardous material storage violations.
Government bans on Hezbollah military activities
- ▪The Lebanese Cabinet formally banned Hezbollah from conducting military and security activities in August 2026 as part of efforts to establish exclusive state control over weapons.
- ▪In March 2026, the Lebanese government declared Hezbollah's military activities illegal following the outbreak of a new war between Hezbollah and Israel.
Broader regional conflict
- ▪Recent military conflicts between Israel and Hezbollah resulted in nearly 4,000 deaths in Lebanon and left Israeli forces occupying portions of southern Lebanon.
- ▪Hezbollah fired rockets into northern Israel two days after Israel and the United States launched a war on Iran, triggering the conflict with Israel.
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