Lebanon detains several people on suspicion of firing rockets at Israel
[April 17, 2025]
By BASSEM MROUE
BEIRUT (AP)
— The Lebanese military said it has detained a group of people linked to
firing rockets into Israel last month.
In a statement issued late Wednesday night, the army said it had
detained several people, including a number of Palestinians, who were
involved in firing rockets in two separate attacks toward Israel in late
March that triggered intense Israeli airstrikes on parts of Lebanon.
Lebanon’s Hezbollah group denied at the time it was behind the firing of
rockets.
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In this photo, released by the Lebanese Presidency press office,
Lebanese president Joseph Aoun, center foreground, and Lebanese Prime
Minister Nawaf Salam, right, head a cabinet meeting at the presidential
palace in Baabda, east of Beirut, Lebanon, Thursday, April 17, 2025. The
Arabic on the screen reads, "Summary of the situation and security
measures taken." (Lebanese Presidency press office via AP) |
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The army said that a vehicle and other equipment used in the
rockets attacks were confiscated and the detainees were referred
to judicial authorities. The army said it had carried out raids
in different parts of Lebanon to detain the suspects without
giving further details.
On Thursday, the state-run National News Agency reported that
Gen. Rodolph Haikal briefed a weekly cabinet meeting about the
security situation along the border and the ongoing
implementation of the U.N. Security Council resolution that
ended the 14-month Israel-Hezbollah war.
Three security and one judicial officials told The Associated
Press that four Palestinians linked to the Hamas group are being
questioned.
A Hamas official told the AP that several members of the group
were detained in Lebanon recently and released shortly afterward
adding that they were not involved in firing rockets into
Israel. He said in one case authorities detained a Hamas member
who was carrying an unlicensed pistol.
All officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were
not authorized to speak to the media.
Hezbollah started launching attacks on Israel a day after the
Israel-Hamas war erupted on Oct. 7, 2023 with the Palestinian
militants’ attack on southern Israel. The war that left more
than 4,000 people dead in Lebanon and caused wide destruction
ended in late November with a U.S.-brokered ceasefire.
Since the ceasefire went into effect in late November, Israel
has carried out almost daily airstrikes that left dozens of
civilians and Hezbollah members dead.
On Tuesday, the office of the U.N. high commissioner for human
rights said that at least 71 civilians, including 14 women and
nine children, have been killed by Israeli strikes in Lebanon
since a ceasefire took effect.
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