Israel released four more Lebanese citizens on Friday and handed them over to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The release came one day after Israel freed another Lebanese detainee. In total, five Lebanese prisoners have now been transferred to Lebanon with the help of the ICRC.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun welcomed the releases. He also thanked the United States, President Donald Trump, and the ICRC for their role in the process. The US is helping Lebanon and Israel negotiate an agreement to reduce tensions and end the fighting between them.
Five Lebanese Prisoners Released
The first prisoner, Malek Ghazi, was released on Thursday. Israel released the other four on Friday. They include Hussein Ayash from Harouf and Mohammed Juheir, a fisherman from Naqoura.
Israeli authorities said they had investigated the five detainees. According to Israel, none of them belonged to an armed group or took part in terrorism.
The release is the first handover of Lebanese prisoners since the latest Israel-Hezbollah war began about six months ago. However, many Lebanese citizens remain in Israeli custody. They include civilians and people Israel says were connected to Hezbollah.
The ICRC has asked Israel to allow access to the remaining detainees. The organization says it has not been able to visit Lebanese prisoners held in Israel since October 2023. As a result, many families still do not know what happened to relatives who may be detained, dead, or missing.
A Release Linked to Wider Negotiations
The prisoner releases are part of a broader agreement between Lebanon and Israel. The deal is also linked to Lebanon’s efforts to locate the remains of Jewish Lebanese leaders who disappeared and were killed during the country’s civil war in the 1980s.
Israel agreed to release the five Lebanese detainees as part of this process. The United States has helped both sides negotiate the agreement.
The prisoner handover comes during a period of serious tension between Israel, Lebanon, Hezbollah, and Iran. Fighting between Israel and Hezbollah began after the Gaza war started in October 2023. The conflict later became a full-scale war in 2024.
The situation became even more serious after the US and Israel launched military action against Iran. Hezbollah, an ally of Iran, responded with attacks on Israel. Israel then carried out more attacks and a ground operation in Lebanon. According to Al Jazeera, at least 4,300 people have been killed in Lebanon during the conflict.
Lebanon and Israel Continue Talks
Lebanon and Israel began direct talks in April, with the US acting as a mediator. The Lebanese government has said it wants an agreement that restores full Lebanese sovereignty and protects its territory and people.
President Aoun said the agreement should restore Lebanon’s control over its land without giving up “an inch” of its territory or “a single one” of its people.
The release of the five prisoners is an important step. However, it does not resolve the main disagreements between Lebanon and Israel. Other Lebanese detainees remain in Israeli custody, while families continue to search for missing relatives.
There are also major disagreements over Hezbollah, Israeli forces in southern Lebanon, and the wider regional conflict. These issues continue to make negotiations difficult.
For now, the prisoner handover is a positive development in the talks between Lebanon and Israel. It could help build trust between the two sides. However, a lasting agreement will require progress on the remaining detainees, missing people, security concerns, and the wider conflict in the region.
Al Jazeera. AFP and AP (2026, 4 de septiembre). Israel frees four more Lebanese prisoners in Red Cross-mediated handover. Al Jazeera. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/9/4/israel-frees-four-more-lebanese-prisoners-in-red-cross-mediated-handover