« Two Lebanese soldiers deploying in February in Kfar Kila, a village in the South scarred by war. (Credit: Mohammad Yassine/L'Orient Today.)
Lebanese Army stated on Sunday on X that they have arrested a new suspect, allegedly involved in the two rocket-firing operations towards Israel on March 22 and 28, 2025.
These unclaimed operations had triggered severe and deadly responses from the Israeli army in Lebanon.
The announcement was made by the troops as the government had issued a historic warning to the Hamas movement on Friday, against "using Lebanese territory to conduct any action that harms Lebanese national security."
Arrest at the entrance of Ain al-Hilweh
"The investigation with the detainee has been opened under the supervision of the competent judiciary," the statement indicates, adding that the suspect was arrested by the Directorate of Intelligence at the entrance to the Ain al-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp, in Saida, and is affiliated with Hamas. An ally of Hezbollah, which opened a front against Israel on Oct. 8, 2023, the Palestinian group had claimed several attacks against the Hebrew state during the war.
The arrest came after a "series of contacts conducted" by the Directorate of Intelligence and the General Directorate of General Security, according to the statement, which states that this arrest took place "on the recommendation of the Higher Defense Council" and it is "in accordance with the cabinet's decision" regarding Hamas.
Information Minister Paul Morcos stated that the government "approved the recommendation of the Higher Defense Council, particularly concerning the warning addressed to Hamas."
Major General Mohammad Moustapha, secretary of the Defense Council, had warned against "the most stringent measures and provisions to end any violation of Lebanese sovereignty."
On April 16, the Lebanese Army announced they had arrested members of a "group composed of Lebanese and Palestinians" suspected of being behind the firings. Three of these suspects were members of Hamas, according to a security source. On April 20, the troops announced they had foiled a new shell firing from southern Lebanon towards Israel and arrested several suspects in the Saida region.