A Lebanese man held prisoner in Israel is released and handed over to Lebanon
BEIRUT (AP) — A Lebanese man who had been held prisoner in Israel was released Thursday, the first such handover since the outbreak of the latest Israel-Hezbollah war six months ago, the International Committee of the Red Cross and two…
In a significant development, a Lebanese man named Malek Ghazi was released by Israeli authorities and handed over to Lebanon on Thursday, marking the first such handover since the recent Israel-Hezbollah conflict began six months ago, according to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and Lebanese security officials.
Ghazi was transferred to the Lebanese army via the ICRC at the Naqoura border crossing in southern Lebanon, and subsequently received by Lebanese army intelligence officials in the city of Tyre. The Israeli military did not comment on the release.
Lebanon is believed to be holding dozens of prisoners, including civilians and Hezbollah militants, in Israeli detention centers. The capture details of Ghazi were not immediately disclosed, but sources indicated he was a civilian. The prisoner release occurred amidst ongoing negotiations between Lebanese and Israeli officials, which seemed to have hit a deadlock.
Lebanon and Israel had signed a U.S.-mediated framework deal in June, proposing Israeli withdrawal from occupied areas in southern Lebanon in exchange for Hezbollah's disarmament, but progress on the ground has been minimal. A new round of talks is slated to occur in Rome later this month.
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