Lebanon releases two men after Israeli phone codes trigger detention
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam calls Mossad capture claims fake news after security forces verify the men entered legally.
By Ethan Cook ·
Lebanese authorities released two Palestinian men on Sunday after determining they entered the country legally, effectively ending a public dispute over their identity. The pair, both from Ramallah, were detained after security forces identified Israeli country codes on their mobile numbers. Prime Minister Nawaf Salam described the circulating claims of a Mossad capture as fake news in a statement from his office.
The initial alert came from hotel staff and an Uber driver at the Lancaster Eden Bay hotel in Beirut. They noticed the men using Israeli phone numbers to book their stay. Independent outlet Beirut Time reported that the men were believed to be holding Turkish passports. Security forces questioned the pair and confirmed they had visited Lebanon previously and possessed valid entry documentation.
Salam’s office accused hostile parties of stoking the rumors to mislead public opinion and tarnish his reputation. The statement criticized what it called the moral bankruptcy of the narrative surrounding the incident. A separate rumor later claimed Salam had deported the men rather than holding them, a theory that angered anti-Israel groups within Lebanon.
The incident has amplified local anxiety regarding Israeli intelligence presence. Concerns have grown since the pager plot in September 2024, when thousands of booby-trapped devices exploded across Lebanon and Syria. Hezbollah stated that most of the casualties were members of the Iran-backed group, though a number of civilians also suffered life-altering injuries in that operation.
