Lebanese PM Calls Mossad Capture Rumors Fake After Detaining Two Men

Lebanese authorities detained two men from Ramallah on Sunday after their mobile numbers were identified as carrying Israeli country codes. The capture sparked immediate rumors that Israeli Mossad operatives had been seized, a claim the government swiftly rejected as false.

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam addressed the incident in a statement from the Presidency of the Council of Ministers. He described the circulating narratives as a product of moral bankruptcy and accused hostile parties of trying to tarnish his reputation. The statement noted that security forces interrogated the pair and confirmed both had entered Lebanon legally on previous visits.

The initial trigger for the investigation was a hotel reservation at the Lancaster Eden Bay in Beirut. Staff members and an Uber driver reported that the two Palestinians used Israeli phone numbers to book their stay. These reports prompted security forces to intervene and question the guests.

Beirut Time reported that the men were holding Turkish passports, which fueled speculation about their true identities. By Monday, a secondary rumor emerged that Salam had deported the men rather than holding them, a version of events that drew criticism from anti-Israel factions in the country.

Public anxiety regarding Israeli intelligence operations in Lebanon has persisted since the pager plot in September 2024. During that incident, thousands of booby-trapped devices exploded across Lebanon and Syria. Hezbollah confirmed that most casualties were its own members, though civilians also suffered severe injuries.

Salam's office stated that the detention process concluded with the determination that the two men were not agents. The government moved to calm public alarm by emphasizing the legal entry status of the detainees and the procedural nature of the security check.