Israel releases five Lebanese detainees arrested in southern Lebanon

Israel has released five Lebanese citizens detained in Israeli army-controlled areas of southern Lebanon, the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office said Thursday, linking the move to ongoing efforts to locate the remains of Jewish community leaders who were kidnapped and killed in Lebanon in the mid-1980s.

According to the statement, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu directed that the issue of the remains be raised as part of negotiations with Lebanon. The statement said Netanyahu has been pursuing the matter for decades, dating back to his tenure as Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations.

The Prime Minister’s Office said Israel and Lebanon have carried out numerous operations in recent months to locate the remains, including ground operations.

“In light of this significant activity,” Israel decided to release the five Lebanese detainees, the statement said.

The five were interrogated following their arrest in areas controlled by the Israeli military in southern Lebanon. 

“After completing their interrogation, it became clear that they were citizens who were not members of a terrorist organization, had not engaged in terrorism, and there is no reason for their continued detention in Israel,” according to the statement.