Israel Frees Four Lebanese Detainees in Deal Tied to Missing Jews

Israel released four more individuals detained by Israel to Lebanon on Friday, facilitated by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

This follows the release of a first person on Thursday, bringing the total to five Lebanese individuals freed. The ICRC stated it facilitated the transfer of five individuals released from Israeli detention at the request of relevant parties. Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Thursday that the five civilian captives were released after interrogation confirmed they were civilians who had not engaged in terrorism.

The four freed on Friday included two Lebanese and two Syrian nationals, according to a Lebanese official. The releases are part of U.S.-mediated negotiations with Beirut and efforts to locate and repatriate the remains of Lebanese Jewish community leaders abducted and murdered in the mid-1980s. The Prime Minister's Office stated that Netanyahu had instructed officials to step up efforts to locate and return the remains of these leaders.

The five Lebanese citizens had been detained in areas under IDF control in Southern Lebanon. The detainee issue was raised during U.S.-mediated Israel-Lebanon talks in August, and the arrangement was finalized during U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa's visit to Israel. The ICRC confirmed its role was purely humanitarian, acting as a neutral intermediary.