🔻Israel frees the first of five Lebanese citizens

Israel said on Thursday that it would release five Lebanese citizens it had detained in southern Lebanon. At the same time, Lebanese officials said the first person from this group had been handed over to the Lebanese Armed Forces.

The Lebanese army said one of the detainees was transferred to this country through the mediation of the International Committee of the Red Cross. This is the first release since the negotiations in August between Beirut and Israel to free a group of civilians detained since the start of the Israel–Hezbollah war in 2024.

Benjamin Netanyahu’s office, Israel’s prime minister, said in a statement that after interrogations were completed, it became clear that these individuals were non-civilians, had no membership in any organization that Israel considers to be terrorist, had not taken part in terrorist activities, and therefore there was no reason to continue their detention.

Netanyahu’s office also said the decision was taken following “extensive efforts” between Israel and Lebanon to find and return the bodies of leaders of the Jewish community in Lebanon. Those leaders were abducted and killed in the 1980s during Lebanon’s 15-year civil war.

The move is being carried out while, despite the continued tensions between Israel and Hezbollah, diplomatic efforts to resolve some humanitarian issues between the two sides still