Israel releases five Lebanese detainees, tightens hold on Southern Lebanon security zone

Israel completed the release of five Lebanese civilians on Friday as U.S.-mediated negotiations with Beirut continued alongside efforts to locate and repatriate the remains of Lebanese Jewish community leaders abducted and murdered by terrorist organizations in the mid-1980s.

The International Committee of the Red Cross confirmed on Friday that it had facilitated the transfer to Lebanon of all five individuals at the request of the parties.

One detainee was transferred on Thursday and the remaining four on Friday “with full respect for the safety and dignity of the individuals involved,” the ICRC said. “The ICRC’s role in this operation was purely humanitarian, acting as a neutral intermediary between Israel and Lebanon.”

The Prime Minister’s Office in Jerusalem announced the move on Thursday, saying that as part of negotiations with Lebanon, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had instructed officials to step up efforts to locate and return the remains of the Jewish community leaders.

“In recent months, numerous operations have been carried out to locate them, both by Lebanon and Israel, including field operations,” the PMO said.

The five Lebanese citizens had been detained in areas under IDF control in Southern Lebanon.

“Following the completion of their interrogation, it became clear that they are civilians who are not members of a terrorist organization, were not engaged in terrorism, and that there is no reason to continue holding them in Israel,” the PMO said.

Netanyahu has been involved in efforts to recover the remains for decades, dating back to his tenure as Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations from 1984 to 1988, according to his office.

US hails ‘good faith’

The detainee issue was first raised during U.S.-mediated Israel-Lebanon talks in Rome in August, and the arrangement was finalized this week during U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa’s visit to Israel, according to the State Department.

“In 2006, Hezbollah destroyed South Lebanon by trying to kidnap Israelis and hold remains to exchange for detainees [and thus triggering the Second Lebanon War]. Today, as a result of U.S.-led mediation between two legitimate governments, Israel is releasing detainees and Lebanon is helping Israel recover the lost remains of Lebanese Jews,” a State Department official said.

Washington praised Israel and Lebanon for “demonstrating good faith through these initial steps” and expressed hope that they would provide a basis for broader discussions on civilian issues between the two countries.

U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said the agreement was one of the results of Issa’s meeting with Netanyahu and “greatly advances the historic progress toward peace” between Israel and Lebanon.

Relations would improve further “once Iran puppet Hezbollah is gone,” Huckabee wrote on X.

The Trump administration continues to facilitate dialogue between Israel and Lebanon, with another round of talks expected in Rome later this month.

Israel consolidates security zone

The diplomatic developments came as the IDF announced on Friday that it had established operational control of the strategically important Ali al-Taher Ridge in southeastern Lebanon and cleared Hezbollah terrorists from two underground routes there.

Defense Minister Israel Katz said the operation marked the completion of a phase in consolidating Israel’s hold on the security zone in Southern Lebanon.

The decision to advance toward the ridge was made after intelligence indicated the presence of Hezbollah command-and-control tunnels there, Katz said.

The tunnels served as a command center for attacks against IDF troops and the Galilee, while the ridge constituted Hezbollah’s last commanding position protecting the strategically important Nabatieh area, the defense minister said.

Troops from the IDF’s 36th Division operated in recent weeks to establish control of the ridge both above and below ground. Some Hezbollah terrorists were killed and others fled, according to the military.

The underground network contained command centers, weapons-storage rooms, generator rooms, living quarters, showers and a kitchen, enabling Hezbollah terrorists to conduct operations and remain underground for extended periods.

The IDF described the infrastructure as a strategic underground network constructed over two decades with Iranian funding and planning.

“In a complex and systematic operation, the mission was completed and the tunnels were cleared of terrorists,” Katz said.

The IDF is continuing to neutralize the underground infrastructure and said it would adjust its defensive posture once the operation is completed.

Katz: Israel staying until Hezbollah disarmed

Katz said on Friday that Israel would not withdraw from the security zone until Hezbollah is disarmed throughout Lebanon and the danger posed by attacks from the Land of the Cedars is neutralized.

“Prime Minister Netanyahu and I are leading a clear and uncompromising policy, implemented every day by the IDF: Israel will not withdraw from the security zone in Lebanon until Hezbollah is disarmed throughout Lebanon and the threats to the residents of the Galilee are removed,” Katz said.

“The capture of Ali al-Taher is an important step toward achieving this goal,” he added.

The IDF said it would continue operating in the security zone and would respond to any attempt by Hezbollah to attack Israeli troops, while stressing that it remained committed to the ceasefire agreement in Lebanon.