Lebanese President Joseph Aoun at the Presidential Palace in Baabda on Oct. 22, 2026. (Credit: Photo released by the Lebanese presidency)
BEIRUT — The Lebanese government has decided not to rule immediately on referring the case of explosives seized in Dahr al-Baidar to the Court of Justice, opting instead to wait for the final findings of the investigation. According to our information, this approach was proposed by Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri as part of political consultations aimed at avoiding a confrontation within the executive branch. The decision prompted ministers from the Lebanese Forces (LF) to walk out of the Cabinet session.
The case concerns a shipment of several hundred kilograms of explosives intercepted on Oct. 5 while being transported toward Beirut’s southern suburbs. Justice Minister Adel Nassar requested that the case be referred to the Court of Justice, a special criminal jurisdiction competent to hear cases involving crimes against the state’s internal or external security.
According to our information, judges told President Joseph Aoun, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berr and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam that referring the case immediately to the Court of Justice could undermine the proper conduct of the investigation at this stage. Salam and Nassar are nevertheless insisting that the case be referred to the court once the investigation is complete.
Minister of Displacement and State for Technology Affairs Kamal Shehadeh told L’Orient-Le Jour that “a decision had been taken before the session by the president and the prime minister not to take this step.” They therefore did not approve the draft decree prepared by the justice minister, he explained. According to Shehadeh, the two heads of the executive branch prefer to wait until the investigation is complete before deciding how to proceed.
This position prompted ministers from the Lebanese Forces (LF) to walk out of the session. “We walked out because the explosives case was not referred to the Court of Justice. We cannot wait for the investigations to continue: The party involved has identified itself,” Industry Minister Joe Issa al-Khoury said.
“We presented a table listing cases that were referred to the Court of Justice just one or two days after the events in question, whereas three weeks have passed in this case,” he added.
Adel Nassar, for his part, said he would continue to raise the issue of the explosives shipment at every Cabinet meeting. “The mere storage of these materials in residential areas constitutes a threat to national security,” he said. “We condemn all Israeli aggression in the strongest possible terms, but that does not justify storing C4 [a powerful explosive] or launching military operations outside the framework of the state.”
“The case of the explosives shipment has never been, and will never be, closed,” Information Minister Paul Morcos said.
Regional 'escalation or explosion'
Addressing ministers, President Joseph Aoun reaffirmed his support for the security forces, describing them as “the backbone of the state and its main pillar.” He also warned of a possible escalation in regional tensions, expressing hope that the situation would not deteriorate into an “escalation or explosion.”
“The challenges facing the region are considerable. I hope the situation will not move toward an escalation or an explosion,” the president said, according to a statement from the presidency. His appeal comes as Lebanese leaders seek to strengthen state authority and prevent a deterioration in domestic security. In recent days, Aoun has emphasized the strict enforcement of the law, a ban on armed demonstrations, and the seizure of weapons and ammunition, amid tensions between the state and Hezbollah following several security incidents.
Aoun called on all Lebanese parties to exercise “wisdom, awareness and restraint” to prevent regional tensions from spilling over into Lebanon, which is “already suffering heavy economic consequences.” He stressed that ministers and political leaders must act judiciously to spare the country “any shock resulting from a possible deterioration of the situation in the region.” He also praised the security forces’ efforts to maintain order across the country, particularly in combating terrorism, drugs, arms trafficking and crime, despite economic pressures.
“We can only stand alongside the security forces, which constitute the backbone of the state and its main pillar,” he said.
Aoun also praised Berri’s position, particularly regarding the Lebanese Army, which Berri considers a “red line,” as well as his commitment to preserving civil peace and promoting dialogue and understanding. These, Aoun said, are “the best way to protect and save Lebanon.”
'Nothing outweighs the country’s security'
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam also reaffirmed the principle of the state’s monopoly on weapons and its exclusive authority over decisions of war and peace, saying these principles “are no longer subject to debate.”
“The state’s monopoly on weapons is the very foundation of the state, its Constitution and its laws,” Salam said, citing the Penal Code, the National Defense Law, the Taif Agreement, United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701 and the November 2024 declaration of a cessation of hostilities. The prime minister specified that “the only institutions authorized to bear arms in Lebanon are the Lebanese Army, the Internal Security Forces (ISF), General Security, the Directorate General of State Security, Lebanese Customs and municipal police.”
These provisions appear “in the original text of the declaration of a cessation of hostilities, approved by the previous government and reaffirmed by the current government in its ministerial statement, on the basis of which it won Parliament’s confidence, as well as in its subsequent decisions,” he stressed. “Hezbollah is required to respect these principles, the content of which it has itself repeatedly affirmed its acceptance, no more and no less,” Salam added.
The prime minister then reiterated that “the state has no partner in decisions of war and peace,” a principle enshrined in the Constitution and reiterated in his government’s ministerial statement, as well as in several Cabinet decisions. “It is not useless to recall this, after all that the Lebanese people have suffered as a result of being unilaterally drawn into wars, outside the constitutional institutions,” he said. Salam also recalled that the government had asked the army to draw up a plan to implement the state’s monopoly on weapons. “No one, regardless of their position, has the standing or authority to reverse this decision, except for the Cabinet,” he stressed.
Salam said that storing or transporting weapons by parties not authorized to do so constituted a violation of the stated principles, current laws and Cabinet decisions. He also denounced the risks such practices pose to public safety and citizens, and called for security follow-up and legal proceedings to ensure those responsible receive “the heaviest penalties provided by law.” “No one can impose any other limits on us but those set by law. Nothing outweighs, in our view, the security of the country and of the citizens,” he added.
Saudi Arabia, Qatar and electricity
On the regional front, Aoun reaffirmed Lebanon’s solidarity with Saudi Arabia in the face of attacks against it and any threat to its sovereignty and security.
“Contacts are underway with Riyadh for the resumption of air links and the return of Saudi tourists to Lebanon,” the presidency said in its statement.
Aoun also thanked Qatar for its efforts to support Lebanon’s energy sector. Salam told the Cabinet that he and the energy minister had made “considerable progress” in discussions with the Qatari side on a framework offer aimed at addressing the electricity crisis. He announced that a Cabinet session would be devoted exclusively to the issue within the next two weeks.
Aoun also called for progress on the “Lebanon Telecom” bill, which aims to liberalize the telecommunications sector and improve its efficiency. Restructuring the sector is intended to be one of the main steps in the reform process ahead of its gradual opening to competition.
The president also called for a partial parliamentary election to fill the vacant Greek Orthodox seat in West Bekaa following the death of MP Ghassan Skaff.
