The arrest of two Palestinians, who were suspected of spying for Israel, caused an uproar in Lebanon, because they were using phone numbers with the Israeli international code +972. The case gained traction when rumors circulated that the two men were Mossad agents and that Prime Minister Nawaf Salam had ordered their deportation.
The incident began when two men made a reservation at the Lancaster Eden Bay Hotel in Beirut using Israeli phone numbers. An Uber driver and hotel staff members reportedly alerted the authorities, prompting security forces to take action.
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Lebanese media reports mentioned two agents of the Israeli intelligence service staying at the hotel with Turkish passports, heightening suspicions.
However, the investigation revealed that they were two Palestinians from Ramallah, where the telephone code +972 is also used. As announced by the office of the Lebanese Prime Minister, the two men had entered the country legally, had visited it repeatedly in the past, and possessed valid return airline tickets.
Salam categorically denied that he had intervened in the case, denouncing “moral and political bankruptcy” on the part of those spreading the rumors, with the aim, he claimed, of damaging his reputation and misleading the public.
Source: CNA
