(JPost) – Lebanese officials on Sunday dismissed reports claiming that two Israeli Mossad agents had been arrested in Lebanon, calling the allegations “fake news.” The rumors spread after authorities detained two Palestinians whose phone numbers carried Israeli country codes.

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam denounced what he called “moral bankruptcy” surrounding the detention of the two men from Ramallah, according to a statement issued by the Lebanese Prime Minister’s office.

Salam’s office accused hostile parties of spreading the allegations in a “cheap attempt to tarnish the reputation of the President of the Council of Ministers and mislead public opinion.”

Authorities said security services investigated the two Palestinians and determined that they had entered Lebanon legally and had visited the country on previous occasions.

The independent Lebanese news outlet Beirut Time reported Sunday that allegations had circulated claiming two Mossad operatives were staying at Beirut’s Lancaster Eden Bay hotel while traveling on Turkish passports.

Israeli Phone Numbers Prompt Investigation at Beirut Hotel

According to reports, suspicion arose when the two Palestinian men used Israeli phone numbers to book hotel accommodations. An Uber driver and hotel employees reportedly alerted authorities, leading to an investigation.

Rumors spread the following day that Salam had ordered the men deported rather than detained, triggering anger among anti-Israel voices in Lebanon.

Fears surrounding Mossad operations in Lebanon have intensified since the September 2024 pager explosions, when thousands of remotely triggered devices detonated across Lebanon and Syria, killing and injuring thousands of Hezbollah members.

Hezbollah acknowledged that most of those killed or wounded in the explosions belonged to the Iran-backed organization. However, reports also indicated that civilians suffered serious injuries, some with lasting consequences.