Israel to release five Lebanese detainees amid talks with Lebanon

Sept 3 (Reuters) - Israel will release five Lebanese citizens detained in southern Lebanon after ​finding they had no links to militant groups, ‌Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said on Thursday. It said the decision came amid negotiations with Lebanon to recover the remains ​of Jewish community leaders kidnapped and killed there ​in the mid-1980s. Sign up here. Israel and Lebanon have carried out ⁠several efforts in recent months to locate the remains, ​including operations on the ground, Netanyahu's office said. Israel has already ​released one of the five, Malek Kamal Ghazi, who was captured in October 2025 and handed over by the Red Cross ​to Lebanese authorities at the Naqoura crossing, a Lebanese ​security source and a source at the prisoners' commission told Reuters. The ‌sources ⁠denied reports that Ghazi was a Hezbollah member and said the four others due to be released were also civilians. They said 35 Lebanese detainees remained in ​Israel, including 20 ​civilians. Israel and ⁠Lebanon signed a U.S.-mediated framework agreement in June that included pledges to work towards the ​release of detainees and the search for ​and return ⁠of remains. The agreement also envisages an eventual Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon as the Lebanese army takes control and ⁠disarms ​Iran-backed Hezbollah, terms the group ​has rejected. Reporting by Rami Ayyub in Jerusalem and Maya Gebeily in Beirut; ​Writing by Jana Choukeir Editing by Tomasz Janowski and Ros Russell Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. , opens new tab Suggested Topics: Middle East X Facebook Linkedin Email Link Purchase Licensing Rights