Lebanon is no longer holding any Hezbollah operatives accused of violating its new arms restrictions, according to Lebanese media reports, after two members of the group were released on bail set at 100 million Lebanese pounds (approximately $1,120) on Tuesday.
The two terrorists were released by the first investigative military judge, Ghada Abou Alwan, after a month in detention, a judicial source told Lebanese media outlet L’Orient Today on Friday.
Al-Houqouqiyoun al-Wataniyoun (national lawyers) protested their arrest on March 24, insisting that the men were “resistance fighters” arming themselves “for Lebanon and its people.”
The suspects admitted to transporting 21 Grad missiles, 3,000 rounds of ammunition, and eight machine guns from the Bekaa Valley to southern Lebanon for the express purpose of confronting the IDF, London-based Arabic newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat reported, citing a judicial source.
Lebanon banned military activities by Hezbollah in March after it opened fire on Israel to avenge the assassination of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said Hezbollah’s attack showed disregard for “the will of the majority of Lebanese” and decried attempts to drag the country into another war after the damage sustained during the 2023 conflict.
The Alma Research and Education Center claimed that the terrorist’s release was more evidence that Lebanon’s military was continuing to yield to Hezbollah.
“It is clear that the Lebanese state cannot disarm Hezbollah (after all, Hezbollah will not do so voluntarily), and it also does not want to do so, mainly due to fear of the consequences of such a move,” the center published, demanding that Beirut confirm whether the weapons were permanently confiscated or returned to Hezbollah.
Four Hezbollah terrorists were released by the Military Court, presided over by Wassim Fayad, on a symbolic bail of $21 last month, after only six days in detention for possessing illegal weapons.
Judge Abou Alwan and investigative military judge Rayan Nasr each released an additional member of the terrorist group. A member of Amal was held for nearly 50 days for the possession of multiple hunting rifles and a Kalashnikov assault rifle.
Source:
www.jpost.com
