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Prisoner swap begins
Israel released five detainees to Lebanon in two batches over two days, with the International Committee of the Red Cross facilitating transfers to Lebanese authorities, as part of U.S.-mediated negotiations.
“Four prisoners from Lebanon held in Israel were released and handed over to Lebanese authorities via the International Committee of the Red Cross on Friday”
The ABC27 report said four prisoners held in Israel were released and handed over to Lebanese authorities via the International Committee of the Red Cross on Friday, and that the first Lebanese prisoner, identified as Malek Ghazi, was released to the ICRC and then to the Lebanese army on Thursday.
In the same deal, Lebanon agreed to search for the bodies of Jewish Lebanese citizens who went missing during the country’s civil war decades ago, according to ABC27.
At the handover point in al-Mansouri, Lebanon, Mahmoud Ayash said his brother Hussein Ayash had been detained for about two months and 20 days and that his brother called from the border crossing in Naqoura to say he had been released and was with the ICRC, as described by Anadolu Ajansı.
The BBC also reported that Malek Ghazi was handed over at the Naqoura crossing before being taken to an army intelligence facility in Tyre for a medical examination, after his family said he disappeared last October after leaving home to exercise.
Voices and disputed facts
Lebanon’s leadership and U.S. officials framed the prisoner releases as a positive step, with the U.S. Embassy in Lebanon saying, "We urge the two sides to build on this momentum in preparation for the next round of talks."
The BBC reported that Issa Abedelaal told it Israeli forces called three farmers on their mobile phones and instructed them to report to a location, where they were detained and taken away, and that the Israeli military had not replied to a request for comment.
In parallel, the Israeli prime minister’s office said the five released were not linked to militant groups, while the BBC said Israel’s prime minister’s office said four more Lebanese civilians due to be released on Friday had been questioned and found to have no links to armed groups.
Anadolu Ajansı quoted Lebanese President Michel Aoun saying the release of the first batch held by Israel "reaffirms the validity of the Lebanon’s firm stance," while stressing the continuation of the path to fully restore his country’s sovereignty.
The ICRC said it had not had access to detainees held in Israel since October 2023, and it called for access to remaining prisoners and answers for families waiting about the fate of loved ones who may be detained, deceased or otherwise unaccounted for.
What’s at stake next
The prisoner releases came as Israeli forces continued attacking and invading southern Lebanon, with Al-Arabi al-Jadid describing escalation that included raids, shelling, and explosions in towns across the Sidon (Saida) and Nabatieh districts.
“Since March 2, 2026, Israel has continued its aggression against Lebanon, resulting in more than four thousand deaths”
Al-Arabi al-Jadid also said that since March 2, 2026, Israel has continued its aggression against Lebanon, resulting in more than four thousand deaths and over 12 thousand injuries, in addition to the displacement of more than one million people, according to Lebanese authorities.
Anadolu Ajansı reported that Lebanese President Michel Aoun said the release of detainees held by Israel confirms the viability of the Lebanese position, while emphasizing completion of steps in the Tripartite Framework to achieve full restoration of Lebanese sovereignty.
The BBC said negotiations remained stalled over a framework involving Hezbollah's disarmament, an Israeli withdrawal and the deployment of the Lebanese army in the south, and it added that more than 30 Lebanese are still believed to be in Israeli custody.
Meanwhile, the ICRC renewed its call for information and access, saying it has been unable since October 2023 to reach detainees in Israeli facilities, and it warned that many families in Lebanon are still waiting for answers about the fate of relatives who may be detained, dead, or missing.