Lebanese judge charges eight linked to Hezbollah over smuggled explosives

A Lebanese judge charged eight people linked to Hezbollah on Friday, October 30, with smuggling hundreds of kilograms of explosive materials. UPI reported that security forces seized the contraband, which included the highly explosive substance C-4, earlier in the month. [1]

Hezbollah officials denounced the seizure and requested that the explosives be returned, stating that the materials were meant to be used in fighting Israel. UPI reported that Lebanese authorities rejected the request and ordered the investigations to proceed. [1]

The charges represent the first such action against Hezbollah since the Lebanese government banned the Iran-backed group's military activities in March 2026 amid the 2026 Lebanon war. Hezbollah's political wing, the Loyalty to the Resistance Bloc, holds seats in the Lebanese Parliament. [1][3]

As FTMQ News reported earlier, Lebanese security forces previously intercepted a truck carrying 780 kilograms of explosives intended for Hezbollah on a highway between Beirut and the Bekaa Valley. Following that interception, United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged Lebanese President Joseph Aoun not to return the seized materials to the group. [5]