Lebanese Internal Security Forces (ISF) conducted a raid on a warehouse containing unfit pharmaceuticals in Galerie Semaan on 16 October. During the operation, men identifying as Hezbollah supporters surrounded the ISF patrol. The ISF confirmed that these individuals attempted to obstruct the search of the facility. Despite the intervention, the ISF stated that officers successfully completed the operation. The security forces confiscated the unfit pharmaceuticals and sealed the premises following the search.
Hezbollah Denies Warehouse Involvement
Hezbollah's Media Relations Office issued a statement on 16 October denying any connection to the warehouse in Galerie Semaan or the pharmaceutical products seized by the Internal Security Forces. The organization rejected allegations that it maintained involvement with the facility or the individuals present at the site during the search. Officials from the Media Relations Office stated that the group holds no responsibility for the site's contents or the conduct of those who obstructed the security patrol. The denial follows the operation conducted by the Internal Security Forces earlier that day. Hezbollah maintains that it has no link to the location or the activities documented by authorities during the search.
Dispute Over Security Coordination
Hezbollah claimed the patrol entered a security-sensitive area without following an agreed-upon security coordination mechanism. Representatives from the group stated that the Internal Security Forces failed to adhere to established protocols regarding operations in locations deemed sensitive. According to the organization, these procedures require advance notification or joint oversight to ensure that law enforcement activities do not inadvertently compromise site security. Hezbollah asserted that the lack of such coordination led to the friction observed during the 16 October operation in Galerie Semaan. Authorities have not issued a formal response regarding the existence of a specific coordination mechanism for the facility. The dispute remains centered on whether the Internal Security Forces bypassed standard notification channels before initiating the search of the warehouse.
History of Confrontational Incidents
Hezbollah supporters and Internal Security Forces personnel engaged in a similar confrontation at Tayouneh Junction on 23 January. This earlier incident involved friction between the security patrol and individuals associated with the organization, mirroring the tensions reported at the Galerie Semaan site.
Lebanese cabinet members issued a mandate on 2 March that banned the military and security activities of Hezbollah. The cabinet decision further ordered the group to surrender its weapons to the state.
Lebanon committed to the disarmament of non-state armed groups as part of a trilateral framework brokered by the United States on 26 June. This diplomatic agreement established a series of obligations intended to address the presence of armed factions operating outside of government control.
