Rubio asked Joseph Aoun not to return the seized explosives to Hezbollah. An official at the US State Department said that Foreign Minister Marco Rubio spoke with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun about the seizure of hundreds of kilograms of explosives belonging to Hezbollah. The American official also said that Mr. Rubio asked the President of Lebanon to prosecute the people who ordered the shipment, paid for it and carried out the shipment. Mr. Rubio also emphasized that "these explosives must not be returned to Hezbollah." Hassan Fazallah, Hezbollah's representative in the Lebanese parliament, confirmed yesterday that the shipment of hundreds of kilograms of explosives seized by the Lebanese security forces last week belonged to this Iranian-backed group. Mr Fazella said on Thursday: "This car and its cargo belong to the resistance." He also demanded the return of the cargo and the immediate release of the two people arrested in connection with the seizure of this shipment. The Lebanese presidency also announced in a statement that Joseph Aoun told Marco Rubio that the Lebanese army and security forces fully implement the government's decisions to prevent the rise of armed groups, confiscate weapons and fight smuggling. According to this statement, the President of Lebanon asked Mr. Rubio to also put pressure on Israel to stop the attacks on the cities and villages of southern Lebanon. Based on the agreement reached during the negotiations between Lebanon and Israel mediated by the US, Lebanon undertook to disarm Hezbollah. On the other hand, Israeli forces were supposed to gradually withdraw from Lebanon. However, Hezbollah refused to disarm and declared that it would not give up its weapons as long as Israeli forces were present in Lebanon. Israel also continued its attacks on southern Lebanon.

Rubio asked Joseph Aoun not to return the seized explosives to Hezbollah. An official at the US State Department said that Foreign Minister Marco Rubio spoke with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun about the seizure of hundreds of kilograms of explosives belonging to Hezbollah. The American official also said that Mr. Rubio asked the President of Lebanon to prosecute the people who ordered the shipment, paid for it and carried out the shipment. Mr. Rubio also emphasized that "these explosives must not be returned to Hezbollah." Hassan Fazallah, Hezbollah's representative in the Lebanese parliament, confirmed yesterday that the shipment of hundreds of kilograms of explosives seized by the Lebanese security forces last week belonged to this Iranian-backed group. Mr Fazella said on Thursday: "This car and its cargo belong to the resistance." He also demanded the return of the cargo and the immediate release of the two people arrested in connection with the seizure of this shipment. The Lebanese presidency also announced in a statement that Joseph Aoun told Marco Rubio that the Lebanese army and security forces fully implement the government's decisions to prevent the rise of armed groups, confiscate weapons and fight smuggling. According to this statement, the President of Lebanon asked Mr. Rubio to also put pressure on Israel to stop the attacks on the cities and villages of southern Lebanon. Based on the agreement reached during the negotiations between Lebanon and Israel mediated by the US, Lebanon undertook to disarm Hezbollah. On the other hand, Israeli forces were supposed to gradually withdraw from Lebanon. However, Hezbollah refused to disarm and declared that it would not give up its weapons as long as Israeli forces were present in Lebanon. Israel also continued its attacks on southern Lebanon.