Lebanonupdated 1h ago3 min read
Lebanese Forces Ministers Walk Out as Lebanon Postpones Dahr Al-Baidar Explosives Referral
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Lebanese Forces ministers withdrew from the cabinet over postponement of Dahr el-Baidar referral. Government postponed ruling on referring Dahr el-Baidar explosives case to the Court of Justice.
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“this approach was proposed by Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri”
“has issued summons warrants for these two individuals, known as 'Sajed' and 'Dhu al-Fiqar'”
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Cabinet Walkout
Lebanon’s government postponed a decision on referring the Dahr al-Baidar explosives case to the Court of Justice, opting to wait for the final findings of the investigation. Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri proposed the approach as part of political consultations aimed at avoiding a confrontation within the executive branch, and ministers from the Lebanese Forces walked out of the Cabinet session in protest. 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.
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,” and he said the ministers therefore did not approve the draft decree prepared by the justice minister. Industry Minister Joe Issa al-Khoury said, “We walked out because the explosives case was not referred to the Court of Justice.”
Aoun and Salam
President Joseph Aoun warned ministers of a possible aggravation of regional tensions, expressing hope that the situation would not deteriorate into an “escalation or explosion.” Aoun also reaffirmed his support for the security forces as “the backbone of the state and its main pillar,” and he called on Lebanese parties to exercise “wisdom, awareness and restraint” to prevent regional tensions from spilling over into Lebanon. Prime Minister Nawaf Salam reiterated the monopoly of arms by the state and its exclusive authority over decisions of war and peace, saying these principles “are no longer subject to debate.”
Salam said “The state’s monopoly on weapons is the very foundation of the state, its Constitution and its laws,” and he cited 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 Lebanese Forces’ protest over the postponed referral echoed through the Cabinet session, with Al-Manar reporting that ministers from the party withdrew due to the postponement of the decision on referring the Dahr el-Baidar explosives case to the Judicial Council.
Judicial Stakes
The investigation into the explosives shipment seized on the Dahr al-Baidar road entered a new phase after Hezbollah’s claim of responsibility, and Judge Claude Ghanem issued summons warrants for two additional individuals known as “Sajed” and “Dhu al-Fiqar.” Security forces were tasked with locating “Sajed” and “Dhu al-Fiqar,” and the probe shifted from questioning the two detained with the truck to pursuing these two reportedly Hezbollah officials. The judicial source described the case as a “premium security case,” and it said security forces intercepted a truck loaded with 500 kilograms of highly explosive materials on the 8th of this month while it was being transported from the eastern region towards Beirut.
The source said the driver and a companion were detained, and Hezbollah later acknowledged ownership of the explosives, while authorities continued technical procedures including extracting contents from the phones of the detained individuals and an additional phone belonging to the wife of one of them. L’Orient Today framed the referral dispute as a test of how Lebanon handles state authority, with President Joseph Aoun warning of escalation risks and with Justice Minister Adel Nassar insisting that the case be referred once the investigation is complete.