The families of the victims of the Tleil explosion protest in front of the Palace of Justice on Aug. 14, 2025. (Credit: Photo sent to L'Orient Today by residents)
BEIRUT — The families of the victims of the Tleil fuel tank explosion, which killed 30 people in 2021 in Akkar, welcomed on Friday the decision of the Court of Justice to re-arrest two of the main defendants in the case, ahead of the final verdict set for July 30, according to a statement relayed by the state-run National News Agency (NNA).
“The Judicial Council today concluded the final phase of hearings in the case of the catastrophic Tleil explosion, announcing the end of the trials and setting July 30 as a decisive date for issuing the final verdict,” the statement said.
On Aug. 15, 2021, the Lebanese Army seized 60,000 liters of gasoline and 40,000 liters of diesel from a hidden storage tank belonging to smugglers in the town of Tleil in Akkar district. At a time of severe fuel shortages, around 200 people gathered to collect fuel that soldiers had begun distributing when a dispute broke out, shots were fired, and the entire stock exploded, killing 30 people and injuring around 100.
The court’s decision also included the re-arrest of the two main defendants, George Ibrahim and Ali al-Faraj, and their return to prison pending the final ruling. The move was welcomed by the victims’ families attending the hearing, as they await a verdict in a case that has lasted nearly five years.
Georges Ibrahim is the owner of the land where the tank was located, while Ali Faraj is a gas station owner in Wadi Khaled and the alleged owner of the tank. They are accused of stockpiling fuel for sale on the black market, and Ibrahim has been accused of deliberately starting the fire. Both deny the charges.
“This is a pivotal moment after five painful years since the fuel tank explosion in the town of Tleil,” the families said, adding they remained committed to uncovering “the full truth and achieving complete justice without compromise.”
After the hearing, a relative of one victim said: “Five years have passed, and the pain has consumed our hearts and our tears have not dried. Today, hope has returned. The return of the defendants to prison is the first step toward bringing peace to the souls of our children. We are eagerly awaiting July 30 for justice to have its say, because the blood of the innocent is not cheap and does not disappear,” he added.
