Israel Demands Information on Missing Jews in Lebanon Amid Negotiations

During the seventh round of negotiations between Israel and Lebanon, held in Rome with U.S. participation, Lebanon demanded disclosure of the number and status of Lebanese prisoners held in Israel. In response, Israel presented a challenging counter-demand: information on the fate of 11 Jews missing or killed in Lebanon since the 1980s, including the captured navigator Ron Arad who disappeared in 1986, according to the Lebanese newspaper Al-Nahar. Israel’s demand is based on framework agreement clauses requiring efforts to locate and return missing persons, but Lebanese sources argue the demand is impossible to fulfill given Lebanon’s limitations. Lebanese officials accuse Israel of deliberate diversion tactics to avoid addressing protests and detainees in Lebanon, whose numbers exceed 30, and to deflect attention from alleged Israeli violations in southern Lebanon, including attacks on military positions and local forces. Additionally, the Hezbollah-affiliated Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar reported that Israel referenced numerous deceased individuals buried in Jewish cemeteries in Beirut and Sidon. Historically, thousands of Jews lived in Lebanon before the Six-Day War, maintaining a centuries-old presence; at its peak, the Jewish population ranged from 12,000 to 20,000 according to Ynet. Meanwhile, a Lebanese diplomatic source told the Hezbollah-linked Al-Mayadeen network that no new negotiation round between Lebanon and Israel is planned for the coming month.