Israel to release five Lebanese detainees in talks with Lebanon

Israel is expected to release five Lebanese detainees today as a goodwill gesture in the negotiations with Lebanon, in coordination with the United States. The Prime Minister’s Office said the decision came as part of talks with Lebanon and after stepped-up efforts to locate the remains of leaders of the Jewish community in Lebanon who were kidnapped and killed in the mid-1980s. It added that the five Lebanese were being held in areas of southern Lebanon under Israeli control, and that after questioning they were found to be civilians with no affiliation to any terrorist organization and no reason to keep them in Israel. Channel 12 in Israel also reported that the five Lebanese will be handed over to Lebanon.