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Hezbollah admits seized explosives were its own; Rubio urges Lebanon to keep them

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Neutral summary

Lebanese security forces intercepted the truck last week at a checkpoint on the highway linking the Bekaa Valley to Beirut and arrested two people in the vehicle. Hezbollah lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah said “the vehicle and its cargo belong to the resistance” and that the explosives were meant for use against Israeli troops. A judicial source told AFP the truck carried 250 kilograms of TNT and 250 kilograms of C-4; other reports put the total at approximately 780 kilograms. Hezbollah demanded the immediate release of those arrested and the return of the shipment, describing it as “capabilities” the group uses against Israel. Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam had earlier vowed the state would no longer tolerate “illegal weapons” and said authorities would identify all individuals involved. In a call on Thursday, Rubio told Aoun that returning the explosives to Hezbollah “should be out of the question” and urged accountability for those behind the shipment. Aoun reaffirmed Lebanon’s commitment to bringing all arms under state control. Middle East Eye mistakenly attributed the acknowledgment to the Houthis, while all other outlets report it as coming from Hezbollah.

How it was framed

Outlets: 15. Countries: 8. Facts in the shared core: 7.

Publication timeline

  1. · Politika (outlet profile)

    Хезболах признао да возило са 780 килограма експлозива припада тој групи. Либански премијер Наваф Салам обећао је раније да ће гонити осумњичене

  2. · The National (UAE) (outlet profile)

    Hezbollah claims ownership of explosive-laden vehicle seized by Lebanese army

  3. · Al-Monitor (outlet profile)

    Hezbollah says it owned confiscated explosives, meant to attack Israel. BEIRUT, Oct 15 (Reuters) - A Hezbollah lawmaker said on Thursday that hundreds of kilograms of explosives seized last week by Lebanese security for…

  4. · La Croix (outlet profile)

    Liban : l’étroite marge de manœuvre de l’armée pour désarmer le Hezbollah. La saisie de plusieurs centaines de kilos d’explosifs en quelques jours au Liban remet en lumière la mission sensible de l’armée dans l’applicat…

  5. · The Jerusalem Post (outlet profile)

    Why would Hezbollah admit its explosives were smuggled into Lebanon? - analysis. “The vehicle and its cargo belong to the resistance,” Hezbollah lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah said. He noted that his organization also called…

  6. · Asharq Al-Awsat (outlet profile)

    Hezbollah Says Explosives Shipment Seized by Authorities Belongs to Group

  7. · Haaretz (outlet profile)

    Hezbollah says seized explosives belonged to group, meant for attacks on Israel. A Hezbollah lawmaker said the group intended for attacks on Israeli troops, as Beirut presses ahead with efforts to curb Hezbollah's weapo…

  8. · The National (UAE) (outlet profile)

    Rubio speaks to Lebanon’s Aoun about explosives seized from Hezbollah

  9. · The Jerusalem Post (outlet profile)

    Rubio spoke with Lebanon's Aoun about confiscation of explosives from Hezbollah, US official says. Rubio urged Aoun to hold accountable those who ordered, financed, and directed the shipment of of hundreds of kilograms…

  10. · Le Monde (outlet profile)

    Liban : le Hezbollah reconnaît qu’une demi-tonne d’explosifs saisis il y a quelques jours étaient destinés à la « résistance » contre Israël. Le groupe pro-iranien a demandé au gouvernement libanais « la restitution du…

  11. · Axios (outlet profile)

    Rubio urges Lebanon to resist Hezbollah pressure over seized explosives. Secretary of State Marco Rubio pressed Lebanon President Joseph Aoun not to return to Hezbollah a truck full of explosives it attempted to smuggle…

  12. · Clarín (outlet profile)

    Rubio insta a Líbano a no devolver a Hezbolá explosivos incautados. El representante estadounidense urgió a Líbano a no devolver explosivos a un grupo respaldado por Irán y a exigir responsabilidades. Además, se discuti…

  13. · Middle East Eye (outlet profile)

    Rubio spoke to Lebanese president about confiscated Hezbollah explosives, says official. Rubio spoke to Lebanese president about confiscated Hezbollah explosives, says official US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Leb…

  14. · Middle East Eye (outlet profile)

    Seized explosives 'belong to resistance against Israel', Hezbollah MP says. Seized explosives 'belong to resistance against Israel', Hezbollah MP says A Hezbollah Member of Parliament has acknowledged that a 500-kilogra…

  15. · Al-Monitor (outlet profile)

    Rubio urges Lebanon to not return confiscated explosives to Hezbollah, US official says. By Simon Lewis and Kanishka Singh WASHINGTON, Oct 15 (Reuters) - US Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with Lebanese President J…

  16. · Al Jazeera (outlet profile)

    Rubio presses Lebanon on confiscation of weapons from Hezbollah. Lebanon's president reaffirms the commitment to bring all arms under state control.

  17. · Tanjug (outlet profile)

    Rubio pozvao Liban da ne vraća zaplenjeni eksploziv Hezbolahu

  18. · Insajder (outlet profile)

    Rubio pozvao Liban da ne vraća zaplenjeni eksploziv Hezbolahu. Američki državni sekretar Marko Rubio pozvao je libanskog predsednika Džozefa Auna da ne dozvoli vraćanje Hezbolahu stotina kilograma eksploziva koje su zap…

  19. · Politika (outlet profile)

    САД траже од Либана да не враћа Хезболаху заплењени експлозив. Заплењени експлозив наводно био намењен дроновима за нападе на Израел

  20. · NIN (outlet profile)

    Rubio pozvao Liban da ne vraća zaplenjeni eksploziv Hezbolahu. Poslanik Hezbolaha Fadlalah ranije je rekao da je zaplenjeni eksploziv pripadao toj grupi i da je bio namenjen za upotrebu protiv Izraela.

Factual core

  • US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called on Lebanon not to return seized explosives to Hezbollah.
  • The explosives were seized by Lebanese authorities.
  • Hezbollah lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah said on October 15, 2020, that hundreds of kilograms of explosives seized by Lebanese security forces belonged to Hezbollah.
  • The Lebanese army faces pressure to disarm Hezbollah.
  • The explosives were meant to be used in an attack against Israel, according to Hezbollah's statement.
  • Rubio underscored that returning the explosives to Hezbollah should be out of the question.
  • The US State Department official confirmed Rubio's conversation with Aoun.

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