Israel Proposes Civilian Prisoner Exchange to Lebanon in Latest Peace Talks

Less than a week after a round of negotiations between Israel and Lebanon's government, new details have emerged about the discussions held in Rome. According to the Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar, affiliated with Hezbollah, the Israeli delegation proposed a "civilian prisoner exchange" deal. This proposal involves transferring the remains of Jews from Lebanese Jewish cemeteries in exchange for the release of Lebanese civilian detainees.

The Israeli side categorized the Lebanese detainees into two groups, offering to release those civilians considered a threat to Israeli forces' operations. However, Israel made clear that the status of Hezbollah militants was not negotiable, and their release was not on the table. Meanwhile, Hezbollah reportedly sent a drone toward Israeli Defense Forces positions, though the target was unrelated to the talks.

The Lebanese delegation returned to Beirut without reaching any agreement on scheduling further negotiations. Israel also did not commit to any ceasefire or reduction in military activities in Lebanon. The talks thus concluded without concrete progress on either prisoner exchanges or de-escalation measures.