Rubio Demands Lebanon Hold Those Responsible for Seized Hezbollah Explosives Accountable

A US State Department official said on Thursday that Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun about the seizure of hundreds of kilograms of "Hezbollah" explosives.

The official stated that Rubio urged Aoun to ensure accountability for those who shipped, bore the cost of, and directed the explosives, emphasizing that "returning the explosives to 'Hezbollah' is something that should never happen."

The official added that Rubio called for direct military communication between Lebanese and Israeli forces "to resolve the conflict."

Earlier, Hassan Fadlallah, a parliament member from "Hezbollah," said that the explosives seized by Lebanese security forces last week belonged to the group.

Fadlallah stated that "Hezbollah" intended to use the explosives against Israel, whose forces occupy parts of Lebanese territory captured during this year's war.

A "Hezbollah" official and a Lebanese security source told Reuters that the confiscated explosives were prepared for use in booby-trapped drones targeting Israeli forces.

The presidency said Aoun informed Rubio that "the army and security forces are fully fulfilling their duties in implementing decisions related to preventing armed manifestations, confiscating weapons and ammunition, and combating smuggling."

It added that Aoun asked Rubio to pressure Israel to stop attacks on towns and villages in southern Lebanon and "cease bulldozing operations, enable farmers to access their fields, and refrain from harming them."

It is noted that on March 2, the Lebanese government specifically banned Hezbollah's military activities after the group launched rockets at Israel in support of Tehran, dragging Lebanon into the regional war spiral that erupted following US and Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28.

Subsequently, Tehran launched attacks on Israel and countries in the region, while US-Israeli strikes on Iran and Israeli attacks on Lebanon during the war resulted in thousands killed and millions displaced.

Under an agreement reached this year through US-mediated negotiations between Lebanon and Israel, Beirut pledged to disarm "Hezbollah," which is expected to lead to a gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanon.