Lebanese PM Denies Mossad Capture of Two Ramallah Men

Lebanese authorities rejected claims on Sunday that two Mossad operatives were captured in Beirut, a move aimed at stabilizing public sentiment after the detention of two men from Ramallah. The two visitors were held after investigators found their phone numbers contained Israeli country codes, a detail that fueled speculation about their identities.

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam addressed the incident through a statement issued by the Presidency of the Council of Ministers. He described the surrounding speculation as a product of "moral bankruptcy" and stated that hostile parties were making a "cheap attempt to tarnish the reputation of the President of the Council of Ministers." The office clarified that security forces questioned the pair and confirmed both men had entered Lebanon legally and had visited the country previously.

The initial suspicion arose after an Uber driver and hotel staff alerted authorities regarding the visitors' booking methods. According to reports from the independent outlet Beirut Time, the two men were staying at the Lancaster Eden Bay hotel in Beirut. Rumors suggested the agents were using Turkish passports, though official confirmation of those documents was not provided in the government statement.

A secondary rumor circulated the following day that Salam had ordered the men deported rather than detained, a claim that drew sharp criticism from anti-Israel factions within Lebanon. The government moved to dismiss these narratives as false information intended to mislead the public.

Tension regarding Israeli intelligence operations in the region has risen since September 2024. During that period, thousands of booby-trapped pagers exploded across Lebanon and Syria. Hezbollah confirmed that most of the casualties were members of the group, while civilians also reported suffering life-altering injuries in the blasts.