Lebanon Frees Two Ramallah Men After Israeli Phone Codes Triggered Detention

Lebanese authorities released two Palestinian men from Ramallah on Sunday after detaining them over phone numbers with Israeli country codes. The move followed widespread rumors that Israeli Mossad operatives had been captured in Beirut, a claim Prime Minister Nawaf Salam rejected as fake news.

According to a statement from the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, the two men had entered Lebanon legally and had previously visited the country. Security forces questioned the pair before clearing them. Salam described the handling of the incident as a display of moral bankruptcy by those who spread the rumors.

Salam's office stated that hostile parties had pushed the story to tarnish his reputation and mislead public opinion. The confusion began when the men, holding Turkish passports, used Israeli phone numbers to reserve rooms at the Lancaster Eden Bay hotel in Beirut.

Beirut Time reported that the unusual reservation codes triggered suspicion. An Uber driver and hotel staff alerted local authorities, leading to an investigation and the men's temporary detention. The following day, a second rumor circulated that Salam had deported the men rather than holding them, which angered anti-Israel factions in Lebanon.

Public wariness of Mossad operations in Lebanon has increased since September 2024. During that period, thousands of booby-trapped pagers exploded across Lebanon and Syria. The attacks killed and wounded thousands of Hezbollah members, many of whom were targeted by the Iran-backed group's own communications.

Civilians also sustained life-altering injuries in the pager blast, further heightening scrutiny of foreign intelligence activity within the country's borders.