MTV's Website Obtains Details of Cabinet Session on Hezbollah Explosives Case
MTV's website has obtained a copy of the meeting records of Thursday afternoon’s Cabinet meeting at Baabda Palace, chaired by President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, during which the Hezbollah explosives case was discussed. The meeting saw heated deliberations lasting nearly four hours, culminating in a discussion of Item 7 on the agenda: a request to refer the case involving Hezbollah explosives seized in Dahr al-Baidar to the Judicial Council.
According to the records, the government reached an understanding to postpone the referral pending the completion of investigations and the determination of responsibility. The move was intended to contain the political standoff and prevent the case from escalating into an internal confrontation.
Political sources indicated that intensive contacts led by Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri took place ahead of the meeting and played a key role in keeping the door open to de-escalation. There were warnings that referring the case immediately could put Hezbollah on a collision course with the state and threaten civil peace.
The withdrawal of Lebanese Forces ministers from the session, meanwhile, was the clearest expression of opposition from those demanding the immediate referral of the case to the Judicial Council. They argued that the compromise reached was limited in scope and did little to resolve the deeper dispute over weapons.
During the debate, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam reiterated his opposition to the storage or transportation of weapons outside the control of legitimate authorities, saying such practices violate established principles and applicable laws while endangering public safety and citizens’ security.
The government’s understanding effectively ruled out a direct vote on the referral at this stage, deferring the dispute until a later phase, depending on the course of the judicial investigations and external political pressures on the ground.
Read the full details in the attached file.
