Israel-Lebanon Detainee Release: Transfer Delayed One Day

The transfer of four Lebanese detainees back to Lebanon has been delayed by one day, a security source told Sky News Arabic on Thursday. The handover to the Red Cross is now scheduled for Friday at 11:00 a.m.

Earlier Thursday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that Israel had decided to release five Lebanese civilians detained during operations in southern Lebanon. The move comes as a goodwill gesture within the framework of ongoing contacts between the two sides, following joint Israeli-Lebanese efforts to locate the remains of historic leaders of Lebanon's Jewish community. The search for those remains continues.

"In recent months, extensive operations have been carried out to locate them, both by Lebanon and by Israel, including field operations," Netanyahu's office stated. "In light of this significant activity, it was decided to release five Lebanese citizens who were detained in areas under IDF control in southern Lebanon."

The prime minister emphasized that the detainees are not members of terrorist organizations and there is no reason to continue holding them. "After completing their interrogation, it became clear that they are civilians who are not members of a terrorist organization, were not involved in terrorism, and there is no reason whatsoever to continue holding them in Israel," he said.

Netanyahu's office added that he has been deeply engaged with this issue since his tenure as Israel's ambassador to the United Nations. The release of the detainees is part of gestures of appreciation for the joint effort with Lebanon.