Four more detainees captured by Israeli troops in south Lebanon have been handed over to the Lebanese authorities, a move facilitated by the International Committee of the Red Cross, security sources confirmed on Friday, following the release of another detainee through the organisation a day earlier.
The four detainees, Lebanese and Syrian nationals, are with Lebanese authorities in Tyre, where they await medical evaluations and questioning by the Lebanese army's intelligence. "It's common protocol," a security source told The National.
Lebanese citizen Malek Ghazi was the first of the five to be released into Lebanese custody on Thursday as a “gesture of goodwill” by Israel towards Lebanon amid stalled direct negotiations. Mr Ghazi was abducted in the Rashaya region in October 2025.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun expressed appreciation for the US role in brokering the deal. The handover affirmed “the validity of the firm Lebanese position and the necessity of completing the required steps stipulated in the tripartite framework”, his office said on Friday.
The release of the detainees signals a renewed diplomatic push between Israel and Lebanon, as Washington seeks to facilitate further dialogue before negotiations in Rome. Talks have stalled, but officials from the two countries are expected to meet in Italy this month, according to reports.
“It was decided to release five Lebanese civilians who were arrested in areas under [Israeli army] control in southern Lebanon,” the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday.
“After their interrogation was completed, it became clear that they are civilians who are not members of any terrorist organisation, have not engaged in terrorism, and there is no reason to continue holding them in Israel.”
The ICRC said many families in Lebanon are still waiting for answers about the fate of loved ones who may be detained, dead or otherwise unaccounted for. “The ICRC reiterates the requirement to receive information on conflict-related detainees and to be granted access to them,” the organisation said.
More than 30 people are believed to have been abducted by Israeli forces from south Lebanon since 2023, with the ICRC unable to make contact with them.
