Red Cross hands four more civilians detained by Israel in security zone to Lebanon

The International Committee of the Red Cross said Friday it had facilitated the transfer to Lebanon of the four remaining detainees set to be released by Israel, a day after the first man was handed over . Israel announced on Thursday that it would release the five civilians, amid the two countries’ US-brokered peace talks and after Beirut’s recent assistance in locating the remains of Lebanese Jews killed by Shiite terrorists in the 1980s. The detainees had been taken into custody in areas of southern Lebanon under the control of the Israel Defense Forces; however, after interrogations, each of the five was determined to be a civilian, unconnected to terror activity. It was determined that “there is no reason to keep holding them in Israel,” the Prime Minister’s Office said on Thursday. The four freed on Friday were two Lebanese and two Syrian nationals, a Lebanese official who requested anonymity told AFP. The statement from Netanyahu’s office on Thursday had referred to all five as “Lebanese civilians.” Get The Times of Israel's Daily Edition by email and never miss our top stories Newsletter email address Get it By signing up, you agree to the terms On Friday, three ICRC vehicles were seen arriving from Israeli-controlled parts of southern Lebanon at the Lebanese army checkpoint in Al-Amiriya, which marks the start of the territory controlled by Beirut. At the request of the relevant parties, we facilitated the transfer of five individuals released from Israeli detention to Lebanon. One individual was transferred on Thursday, and four others on Friday, with full respect for the safety and dignity of the individuals involved.… pic.twitter.com/FUNkRa5azO Advertisement — ICRC (@ICRC) September 4, 2026 The convoy was escorted by two Lebanese army vehicles to the southern city of Tyre, where the released individuals were to undergo medical examinations and be questioned by the military. The Red Cross said Friday that it “continues its dialogue with the Israeli authorities” regarding remaining Lebanese detainees, stressing that its role is “purely humanitarian.” It noted that its teams have not been granted access to people detained by Israel, including Lebanese nationals, since October 2023, when the Hamas terror group attacked Israel from Gaza and, a day later, the Hezbollah terror group attacked Israel from Lebanon. The latest round of large-scale fighting started March 2, when Iran-backed Hezbollah fired rockets at Israel in solidarity with Tehran. Despite a ceasefire declared in April, fighting has persisted to a lesser extent, and recent days have seen Israel increase its attacks. Aoun to pressure Israel to release more detainees Lebanese President Joseph Aoun issued a statement expressing his gratitude “for all the efforts exerted, particularly by the United States under the leadership of US President Donald Trump, and by international bodies, especially the International Committee of the Red Cross.” Advertisement “This first step reaffirms the strength of the firm Lebanese position,” he added. Aoun is expected to put pressure on Israel to release other people detained by the IDF, a source from his office told the Lebanese outlet Al-Jadeed news. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, left, welcomes Lebanese President Joseph Aoun before their talk at the Maximos Mansion in Athens, August 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris) The PMO’s statement on Thursday announcing the decision to release the five detainees emphasized Beirut’s recent efforts to locate the remains of members of Lebanon’s Jewish community who were abducted and murdered by Shiite terror groups in the 1980s. Those efforts came amid US-brokered peace talks, which are expected to resume in the coming weeks. At issue in the negotiations is the Israeli-declared “security zone” in southern Lebanon, where the five people released Thursday and Friday were taken into custody. Katz: No withdrawal from security zone until Hezbollah ‘disarmed throughout Lebanon’ Defense Minister Israel Katz on Friday said the recent operation to take over the major Hezbollah facility in the Ali Taher ridge in southern Lebanon “marks the completion of the phase of establishing control over the security zone.” “Prime Minister Netanyahu and I are leading a clear and uncompromising policy, reinforced every day by the IDF. Israel will not withdraw from the security zone in Lebanon until Hezbollah is disarmed throughout Lebanon and the threats to the residents of the Galilee are removed,” he said in a statement. Defense Minister Israel Katz speaks at a Rosh Hashanah toast at the Defense Ministry in Tel Aviv, September 3, 2026. (Elad Malka/Defense Ministry) He added that the decision to take control of Ali Taher was made “following intelligence obtained about the presence of Hezbollah command-and-control tunnels there… serving as the last commanding outpost for defending the Nabatieh area.” Advertisement In June, Israel and Lebanon signed a framework agreement committing Lebanon to restoring sovereignty over its territory through the “verified disarmament of non-state armed groups,” which would in turn enable a progressive Israeli withdrawal. The State of Lebanon, along with Israel and the US, signed the agreement, but Hezbollah and its allies are opposed to it. Israel pulled forces out of three pilot zones into which the Lebanese army entered, but has said it will not carry out any further withdrawals before Hezbollah is disarmed. Help us report truthfully on social media As a multimedia journalist, my job is to take the quality, fact-based journalism produced by The Times of Israel newsroom and make it accessible across every platform — from Instagram posts to podcasts to short-form videos. This is how many, especially young people, consume news these days. But misinformation is rampant on social media. Our team at ToI produces accurate, responsible short-form reporting on Israel and the Jewish world. If you believe in the importance of factual social media journalism , please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. Your financial support is essential to sustain responsible multimedia reporting. — Gabriella Jacobs, multimedia journalist Support our work Support our work Already a member? 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Sign in to stop seeing this Most Popular 1 Gal Gadot confirms she was cut from Wonder Woman franchise 2 Iran has warned US it will respond forcefully to any Israeli offensive on south Lebanon ridge 3 IDF says it entered, cleared Hezbollah’s Ali Taher Ridge tunnels ahead of demolition 4 Interview Dara Horn tackles enduring antisemitic lies head-on with optimistic ‘Final Solution’ 5 Israel confirms capturing Hamas internal security chief in Gaza City raid 6 Trump: ‘Israel should not worry’ about latest Iran clashes, war will wind down soon 7 Katz: Israel will facilitate emigration from Gaza ‘by any means’ as soon as Trump allows 8 Ben Gvir unveils ‘voluntary emigration’ plan to remove most Palestinians from Gaza read more: Israel & the Region Lebanon 2026 Israel-Hezbollah conflict Hezbollah Joseph Aoun International Committee of the Red Cross ICRC Israel Katz If you’d like to comment, join The Times of Israel Community. JOIN THE TOI COMMUNITY Already a member? 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