BEIRUT / JERUSALEM / WASHINGTON — Israel has begun releasing five Lebanese detainees following US-mediated discussions between Israel and Lebanon, in what Washington has described as a confidence-building step towards implementing a broader framework agreement between the two countries.
The US State Department said the releases were made possible through American mediation and reaffirmed Washington's commitment to supporting the implementation of the framework between Israel and Lebanon.
A senior US official said the latest development reflected a significant change from previous attempts to resolve prisoner and remains-related issues between the two sides.
According to the official, Israel is releasing Lebanese detainees while Lebanon is assisting efforts to recover the remains of missing Lebanese individuals believed to have been killed during earlier conflicts.
Talks Held in Rome
The US official said the latest round of negotiations took place in Rome in August, where Israeli and Lebanese representatives held direct bilateral discussions on a range of civilian issues.
The official said the talks involved efforts to finalise arrangements for the detainees' release and expressed appreciation to both governments for taking what Washington described as early steps and demonstrating goodwill.
The United States said it would continue facilitating communication between Israel and Lebanon and expected another round of discussions in Rome.
Washington also stressed its commitment to the full implementation of the three-party framework.
Israel Says Detainees Had No Armed-Group Links
The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that Israel would release five Lebanese citizens detained in southern Lebanon.
According to the statement, an investigation had found that the five had no links to armed groups.
The Israeli government said their release was part of ongoing discussions with Lebanon aimed, among other things, at recovering the remains of Jewish leaders who were abducted and killed during earlier periods of conflict.
Israeli authorities said the two sides had undertaken joint efforts in recent months to determine the location of human remains, including operations conducted on the ground.
First Detainee Handed Over
A Lebanese security source and an official involved with the detainees' committee told Reuters that one of the five had already been released.
The detainee was identified as Malek Kamal Ghazi, who was reportedly detained in October 2025. He was handed over to Lebanese authorities through the Red Cross at the Naqoura border crossing.
The two Lebanese sources rejected reports that Ghazi was a member of Hezbollah, saying that he was a civilian.
They also said the remaining four detainees scheduled for release were civilians.
According to the sources cited by Reuters, 35 Lebanese nationals remain detained in Israel, including 20 civilians.
Framework Agreement
Israel and Lebanon signed a framework agreement in June following US mediation.
The agreement includes commitments relating to the release of detainees and efforts to locate and return human remains.
Washington has presented the latest releases as an initial step towards implementing the agreement and building confidence between the two sides.
The US official said the developments could provide a foundation for wider discussions on other civilian matters.
The initiative comes against the backdrop of years of tension and conflict between Israel and Lebanon, making humanitarian arrangements involving detainees and remains particularly sensitive.
For Washington, the immediate objective is to maintain dialogue and encourage both sides to fulfil the commitments contained in the framework.
The release of the five Lebanese detainees could therefore become an important test of whether the broader agreement can translate into concrete measures on the ground.
