Lebanese PM labels Mossad capture claims false after releasing two men
Security officials detained two Palestinians from Ramallah after their hotel bookings used Israeli phone codes, triggering a national response.
By Sergio Ramirez ·
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam declared on Sunday that reports of two Mossad agents being captured in the country were fake news.
The government moved to quell public concern after security forces detained two men from Ramallah. Officials discovered that the pair had used phone numbers with Israeli country codes while booking a stay at the Lancaster Eden Bay hotel in Beirut. According to local reports, an Uber driver and hotel staff alerted authorities to the unusual reservation, prompting an investigation.
Salam’s office issued a statement accusing hostile parties of stoking rumors to tarnish his reputation and mislead the public. The Prime Minister described the situation as a sign of moral bankruptcy. Security forces questioned the two men and confirmed they had entered Lebanon legally and had visited the country previously. Both men were subsequently released.
A separate rumor emerged the following day claiming Salam had deported the suspects rather than holding them. This claim drew sharp criticism from anti-Israel groups within Lebanon. The Beirut Time outlet initially reported that the detained individuals were Mossad operatives holding Turkish passports.
Public sensitivity to Israeli intelligence activity in Lebanon has grown since the pager plot in September 2024. In that operation, thousands of booby-trapped devices exploded across Lebanon and Syria. Hezbollah confirmed that most of the casualties were members of the group, though civilians also reported sustaining severe injuries.
Source: The Jerusalem Post
