Lebanese military court charges 13 Hezbollah members over explosives truck

Lebanon's government commissioner to the military court, Judge Claud Ghanem, has charged 13 individuals affiliated with Hezbollah over the transport of a truck loaded with explosives that was intercepted at the Dahr al-Baydar checkpoint, according to the National News Agency.

The indictment included eight people, among them detainees Ali Kurdi and Haitham Amahaz, along with five others identified only by their aliases, all reportedly linked to Hezbollah.

The accused face charges of undermining internal state security, violating state laws, defying government decisions, possessing weapons and explosives, and forming illegal associations aimed at weakening state authority. The charges carry penalties of up to ten years of hard labor.

The indictment comes as Foreign Minister Youssef Raji raised the political implications of the case, urging the cabinet last week to refer it to the Judicial Council, saying such a move would demonstrate the government's seriousness and reassure the Lebanese public.

During cabinet discussions on the referral, Raji stressed that the incident was "not just a security matter, but a highly political one that threatens state security," and called for a clear political stance and equal application of the law to all.