Israel to Release Lebanese Detainees in Exchange for Information on Missing Jews

The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that Israel will release five Lebanese citizens currently detained by the IDF. This move is described as a political gesture aimed at facilitating Beirut's efforts to locate the remains of Lebanese Jewish community leaders who were abducted and murdered by terrorists in the mid-1980s. Netanyahu has tasked his team, intelligence agencies, and security services with intensifying the search for these remains, a pursuit he has been involved in for decades.

Recent months have seen joint search operations between Israel and Lebanon, including ground searches. The decision to release the five Lebanese detainees, who were determined to be civilians with no ties to terrorist organizations after thorough checks, was made in light of these efforts. Their continued detention was deemed unjustified.

According to an Israeli source, the matter was discussed during a meeting this week in Jerusalem between Netanyahu, U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Michelle Issah, and U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee. During this meeting, Issah provided Netanyahu with information regarding the deceased members of the Lebanese Jewish community. This exchange followed previous discussions, including a meeting in Rome in August, where Israel shared maps and aerial imagery with Lebanon to aid their search.

Sources familiar with the process view Ambassador Issah as a key American mediator in the dialogue between Israel and Lebanon. He is noted for his firm stance against Hezbollah while also considering the interests and challenges of both nations. The release of the detainees is seen as a step towards Beirut and a supportive measure for American diplomatic initiatives.

Lebanon has conducted its own searches based on the information provided by Israel but has not yet located the remains. Families of the deceased are being kept informed of the ongoing search progress. Previously, an Israeli delegation had proposed a separate humanitarian deal involving the release of detainees in exchange for information on historical burial sites.