Lead:
George Aoun, head of the Administrative and Justice Committee in parliament, declared on Friday that his bloc will boycott the next government session in protest over handling of the Daher Al-Baydar explosives file. According to Al-Akhbar, Aoun characterized the materials cited in the prosecution as proof that Lebanese Forces correctly identified the case as a "premeditated crime by an organized group with specific equipment" that undermines state authority. The escalation marks a deepening rift within government over whether the case belongs to military or civilian courts.
Details:
According to Al-Akhbar, Aoun warned that "drums of war are beating today and Hezbollah could drag us into a new war," demanding that authorities stop "challenging state prestige." He emphasized that the felonies enumerated in the file fall naturally under civilian court jurisdiction, not military courts, and cited precedents where cases containing both misdemeanor and felony charges were transferred to the military bench.
Al-Akhbar reports that Justice Minister Adel Nassar had formally requested referral of the Daher Al-Baydar case to the Supreme Judicial Council. The source indicates that ministers from Lebanese Forces withdrew from the government session before Nassar could formally present the motion, and when government later convened on a separate waste management agenda, Nassar himself did not attend.
Al-Akhbar notes rising tension over the prosecution's rapid pace and its language. The outlet observes that some officials believe the state authority is being manipulated by foreign pressure—particularly American demands—while others contend the state is acting to assert its monopoly on force against an armed organization. According to the same source, both President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam have expressed frustration over lack of concrete support from Washington and Riyadh on southern security matters, yet show no indication of reversing their confrontational stance toward Hezbollah.
Watch For:
One: Whether Prime Minister Salam moves to hold the disputed government session or suspends it pending resolution of the court jurisdiction dispute.
Two: Whether the prosecution issues formal indictment recommendations, which would lock the case into a specific court track and trigger additional walkouts or resignations from other blocs.
Three: Any statement from Hezbollah or allied Shia sources responding to Aoun's accusation that the party could trigger military escalation; silence or restraint would signal internal pressure to de-escalate.