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Prisoner swap begins
Israel released the first of five Lebanese prisoners on Thursday, with the International Committee of the Red Cross confirming the handover of Malek Ghazi to the Lebanese army in the city of Tyre, Lebanon.
“The release of prisoner Malek Ghazi was confirmed by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)”
The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that after interrogation was completed, it became clear that the detainees are civilians who are not members of any terrorist organization, have not engaged in terrorism, and there is no reason to continue holding them in Israel.
Lebanese officials told AFP that the four remaining prisoners are expected to be released on Friday, as the releases were described by the US State Department as the result of US-led mediation between two legitimate governments.
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said, "We will continue working until all our prisoners are released, the fate of the missing is revealed, and a complete Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory is achieved," while the US ambassador to Lebanon, Michel Issa, finalized the releases during a recent trip to Israel.
The DW report also said Israeli forces reportedly detained more Lebanese citizens, with Lebanese state media reporting troops entered the town of Halta in southern Lebanon and seized three men after surrounding several houses and preventing residents from leaving.
Ridge capture and talks
As prisoner releases moved forward, Israel said it was cementing its foothold in southern Lebanon by capturing the Ali al-Taher ridge, about six miles from Lebanon’s border with Israel, which sits above a sprawling underground base for Hezbollah.
Israel Katz said in a video statement that the capture of Ali al-Taher marked "the completion of the process of consolidating our hold on the security zone in southern Lebanon," while Hezbollah’s media office did not respond to a request for comment and the office of the Lebanese presidency declined to comment.
France 24 reported that Israel Katz said the Israeli army seized the strategically placed Ali al-Taher ridge in southern Lebanon from Hezbollah fighters, and that the mission was completed and the tunnels were cleared of terrorists.
The France 24 account also said Reuters reported that Iran had warned the United States last month it would respond forcefully to an Israeli assault on Hezbollah allies’ positions within the ridge.
DW further reported that peace talks remain at an impasse after a June US-mediated framework deal, with Hezbollah insisting it will not give up its weapons in any area north of southern Lebanon's Litani river and Israeli officials saying their forces will not withdraw unless the Iran-backed militia is disarmed throughout Lebanon.
Hezbollah response and stakes
Hezbollah responded to the ongoing Israeli aggression by issuing a statement saying the authorities’ claims about direct negotiations and a framework agreement are refuted and rendered meaningless by the continuation of the occupation and aggression, the spilling of Lebanese blood, and the destruction and blowing up of homes.
“The release of some Lebanese detainees, important as it is, cannot serve as a cover”
In the same statement, Hezbollah said the release of some Lebanese detainees, important as it is, cannot serve as a cover for turning a blind eye to the continuation of aggression, occupation, and killing.
Noovo Info reported that Israel said the capture of the Ali Taher ridge marked the completion of Israel’s control over the security zone in southern Lebanon, and that the Israeli army would now finish neutralizing these tunnels and reinforce its positions on the ridge.
Israel’s defense minister insisted, "Israel will not withdraw from the security zone in Lebanon until Hezbollah is disarmed," while Noovo Info added that during negotiations between Lebanon and Israel, the United States proposed that the Lebanese army take control of the Ali Taher ridge, but Hezbollah rejected it.
DW described the broader context of the prisoner deal as tied to Lebanon assisting in the search for the bodies of Lebanese Jewish leaders that Israel says were "abducted and murdered by terrorist organizations" during the Lebanese civil war in the 1980s, even as it said the negotiation process remains stalled.