Lebanon denies Mossad capture rumors

Lebanese authorities rejected reports on Sunday that two Israeli Mossad agents had been captured in Beirut. The government called the stories fake news. Officials moved quickly to calm public fear after two Palestinian men were detained.

The two men, both from Ramallah, were held after security forces found their phone numbers carried Israeli country codes. Prime Minister Nawaf Salam criticized the situation in a statement released by the Council of Ministers. He described the affair as a display of moral bankruptcy. His office said hostile groups spread the rumors to damage the Prime Minister's reputation and mislead the public. Security teams questioned the pair and confirmed both had entered Lebanon legally. They had visited the country before.

The incident began when the two men booked a room at the Lancaster Eden Bay hotel in Beirut. They used Israeli phone numbers for the reservation. An Uber driver and hotel staff alerted authorities. This triggered an investigation. Reports said the men held Turkish passports.

Rumors intensified the next day. Anti-Israel voices in Lebanon claimed Salam had deported the men rather than detaining them. This version of events sparked anger among local supporters of the opposition. The official line remained that the men were held for questioning.

Distrust of Israeli intelligence operations in Lebanon has grown since September 2024. At that time, thousands of booby-trapped pagers exploded across Lebanon and Syria. The attack killed and wounded thousands of Hezbollah members. The group confirmed that most of the casualties were its own fighters. Civilian injuries were also reported.

The Lebanese government now faces pressure to explain the detention clearly. The two men remain in custody as the review of their entry documents continues.