Israel to Release Five Lebanese Detainees in Search for Slain Jewish Leaders

Israel announced Thursday it will release five Lebanese nationals who were detained after being apprehended in areas of southern Lebanon under IDF control. The move is part of ongoing efforts to locate the remains of leaders from the Lebanese Jewish community who were abducted and murdered by terrorist organizations in the mid-1980s.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu instructed the release as part of negotiations with Lebanon aimed at finding and repatriating the bodies, according to his office. Netanyahu has reportedly been personally involved in this matter for decades, dating back to his tenure as Israel's ambassador to the UN.

Both Israel and Lebanon have conducted numerous operations in recent months to aid the search, including ground operations, the Prime Minister's office stated. The decision to release the five Lebanese citizens was made within this context.

Israeli authorities determined after their arrest that the five men were civilians with no ties to terrorist organizations or involvement in terrorist activities. "There is no reason to continue detaining them in Israel," the Prime Minister's office said.