Lebanon dismisses Mossad capture rumors after Palestinian detainees used Israeli phone numbers

Tensions in Beirut have risen over the past week following the detention of two Palestinian men who booked a hotel room using Israeli phone numbers. Lebanese authorities moved quickly on Sunday to clarify the situation, stating that widespread reports of a Mossad spy capture were false.

The incident began when an Uber driver and staff at the Lancaster Eden Bay hotel in Beirut noticed the reservation details. The two men, who are from Ramallah, had used phone numbers with Israeli country codes to secure their stay. This anomaly prompted a call to local security forces, leading to the men's detention and a subsequent investigation.

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam addressed the public through a statement from the Council of Ministers. He described the handling of the case as a moment of moral bankruptcy for the state. His office accused hostile parties of spreading rumors to mislead public opinion and damage the reputation of the government.

Security investigators found that both individuals had entered Lebanon through legal channels. The men had also visited the country previously, according to the official findings. This discovery contradicted the viral claims that the pair were Israeli intelligence agents operating under Turkish passports.

The episode triggered a secondary wave of speculation the day after the initial detention. Some reports suggested that Salam had deported the men rather than keeping them in custody. This claim fueled outrage among anti-Israel groups within the country, who questioned the government's response.

The heightened sensitivity toward Israeli intelligence in Lebanon dates back to September 2024. During that period, thousands of rigged pagers exploded across Lebanon and Syria. While Hezbollah confirmed that most casualties were members of its ranks, a number of civilians sustained life-altering injuries in the blasts.