Hamat base is under the authority of the Lebanese army, Menassa says after standoff between American and Lebanese soldiers

Defense Minister Michel Menassa stepped in to clarify the facts after an incident that occurred on Feb. 16 at the Hamat military base in the Batroun district, Mount Lebanon. That day, an “unidentified flying object” was reportedly shot down by American soldiers, sparking an unprecedented standoff with Lebanese troops and fueling a wide range of interpretations. In a statement, Menassa sought to clarify the situation and remind people of the base’s official status.

In a statement, the minister said that “the Hamat base is a Lebanese air force base under the authority of the Lebanese army air force,” and that “no other entity has powers or prerogatives that supersede Lebanese laws and regulations there.”

A Lebanese army source also told L'Orient-Le Jour, following the incident, that while the Hamat base is indeed Lebanese, it hosts “an American presence as part of U.S. aid programs to the troops.”

“All activities and missions carried out on the base are under the supervision, approval and oversight of the Lebanese army directorate,” the Defense Ministry noted. “This base, like other military sites and barracks, also receives foreign training teams who operate under the rules and instructions of the military institution, for the benefit of various Lebanese army units.”

Minister Menassa added that the Hamat air base, together with the Beirut base (within Rafik Hariri International Airport) and the Rayak base in the Bekaa, serves as a hub for the receipt and delivery of aid destined for the Lebanese army, including military equipment, weapons and ammunition, by flights from foreign countries under a cooperation protocol. “These flights take place with the approval and under the supervision of all the competent Lebanese authorities,” he emphasized.

He also noted that certain analyses and scenarios circulating on social media, online platforms, and in the media serve no purpose other than to sow doubt rather than clarify the facts. “Rumors seek to provoke tensions and undermine the credibility of the Lebanese military institution, which is marked by the blood of its martyrs and the sacrifices of its officers and soldiers,” the statement concluded.

The presence of American troops has prompted Hezbollah circles in Lebanon to regularly denounce what they describe as U.S. control over the Hamat air base. Logistic flights are also carried out between this base and British bases in Cyprus. Built at the initiative of the Kataeb party in 1976 and initially named 'Pierre Gemayel International Airport,' the Hamat runway was meant to accommodate civilian and military flights. But before it was completed, it fell under control of the Syrian army, which entered Lebanon the same year during the civil war and used the base for its helicopters. In 2005, after the withdrawal of Syrian troops, the Lebanese army regained control and has been using the site for the same purposes ever since.