Lebanese PM Says Mossad Capture Claims Are Fake

Lebanon has seen a surge in public anxiety regarding Israeli intelligence operations in recent years. Prime Minister Nawaf Salam dismissed reports on Sunday that two Mossad agents had been seized in Beirut, labeling the story as "fake news."

The incident began when two men from Ramallah booked a room at the Lancaster Eden Bay hotel using phone numbers with Israeli country codes. An Uber driver and hotel staff noticed the codes and alerted security forces. Officials questioned the pair and confirmed both had entered Lebanon legally and had visited the country previously.

Salam’s office criticized the rumors, stating in a statement that hostile parties spread the story to "tarnish the reputation of the President of the Council of Ministers and mislead public opinion." The prime minister described the public discourse as a sign of "moral bankruptcy."

Beirut Time reported that early claims suggested the two detainees were Mossad operatives holding Turkish passports. A separate rumor circulated the next day claiming Salam had deported the men rather than detaining them, a move that drew criticism from anti-Israel groups in the country.

Fears of Israeli surveillance in Lebanon have intensified since September 2024. During that pager plot, thousands of booby-trapped devices exploded in Lebanon and Syria, killing and wounding many Hezbollah members and civilians.

Hezbollah confirmed that most of those injured were members of its ranks, though civilians also suffered severe injuries. The detention of the two Ramallah men was part of an investigation triggered by the phone code discrepancy.