BEIRUT — Caretaker Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi defended on Monday the Lebanese Army after pro-Hezbollah newspaper al-Akhbar questioned its role in preventing Israel's abduction of Imad Amhaz in Batroun.

Israeli commandos captured Amhaz at dawn on Friday along the Batroun coast, abducting him to Israeli territory, where he is now under investigation by Unit 504, an intelligence branch of the Israeli army.

On Sunday, al-Akhbar newspaper commented on the incident, raising questions about the role of the Lebanese Army, security agencies and the U.N. Interim Forces in Lebanon (UNIFIL) in failing to prevent the operation.

"The area where the operation occurred is entirely under the authority of the Lebanese Army and official security agencies, which raises the question of the role of these forces and agencies in confronting such violations, especially since the army knows that the enemy has a history of naval landings and that the nature of the ongoing confrontation with the enemy requires anticipation of similar operations," al-Akhbar wrote.

On Monday, Mawlawi described the incident as a "violation and an act of war," adding that the Lebanese Army is conducting an investigation, according to al-Jadeed local TV channel.

'Unacceptable' accusations

“Any accusations against the Lebanese Army and security forces are unacceptable and do not serve the interest of peace," Mawlawi said.

He also called on the media to "exercise caution and accuracy and stand behind the army," emphasizing the need for "solidarity and cohesion with the legitimate security forces."

Meanwhile, the state-run National News Agency (NNA) reported that the Lebanese Army's commander Joseph Aoun briefed caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati on Monday about the internal investigation carried out by the Army Command regarding the abduction operation.

On Monday, Lebanese Forces MP Ghassan Hasbani also defended the Lebanese Army, posting on X: “The army is the guarantee of all Lebanese. The army was not the one who made the decision to ... go to war, and it is not its role to provide protection for members in illegitimate security and military organizations, who chose to wage war from Lebanon. These members are responsible for their actions and the consequences, and this is what they took upon themselves without consulting anyone. The state is not à la carte and sovereignty is not selective.”

On Oct. 8, 2023, one day after the start of the war in Gaza, Hezbollah opened a "support front" for its ally in the enclave, Hamas, and started carrying out daily cross-border operations against Israel.  Since then, the Israeli army has killed more than 2,950 individuals and injured more than 13,400, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry. 

'No affiliation to Hezbollah' 

On Monday, Hezbollah addressed the Batroun incident for the first time, with Deputy Chairman of the party's Political Council, Mahmoud Qomati, telling local TV station OTV that Imad Amhaz. the abducted individual, "was introduced to [Hezbollah] through the media" and he has no "organizational or military affiliation" with the party.

The Israeli Army commented on the operation through its military radio, stating that they captured a "Hezbollah member."

On Sunday, Amhaz' father had already insisted that his son was a captain on "civilian and commercial ships" and had no affiliation to Hezbollah. 

Qomati added that it is impossible for military boats to enter Lebanon without the knowledge of UNIFIL's German forces.

UNIFIL had already denied any involvement in the operation on Saturday, warning against false rumors and disinformation.

He concluded by noting that similar operations could occur again in secure areas, emphasizing the importance of the army's role and urging the public to remain vigilant.