Israel has released a Lebanese detainee and agreed to free four others after Lebanon provided information about the possible location of remains of Jewish community leaders killed in the 1980s.
Israel and Lebanon have reached an understanding under which Beirut will provide Israel with reliable information about the likely whereabouts of the remains of Jewish community leaders kidnapped and killed in the mid-1980s, in exchange for Israel's release of five Lebanese nationals held in Israeli custody, according to Israeli officials involved in the contacts.
The information was transferred to Israel early this week during a meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa, with U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Hoagland present. Netanyahu's office confirmed the link between recovering the remains of Lebanon's Jewish community and the release of Lebanese detainees for the first time in a public statement.
The understanding took shape during talks between Israel and Lebanon held in Rome last month, where Israel requested reliable information about the remains and agreed in return to release five Lebanese detained in southern Lebanon with no evidence linking them to armed activity.
Israeli officials said Lebanon transmitted the information during the September 1 meeting in Jerusalem, which was then examined and verified before the decision was made to proceed with the releases.
One detainee, Malik Kamal Ghazi, 20, who had been held since October 2025, was handed over to Lebanon today through the Red Crescent at the Naqoura crossing and transferred to the Lebanese Army for medical examination in the Tyre area.
Lebanese sources told Saudi news outlet Al-Hadath that Lebanon is expected to receive four additional Lebanese detainees during the coming hours.
Netanyahu's office stated that Netanyahu has pushed for efforts to locate and return the remains of the Jewish community leaders, described in the statement as those killed in the 1980s by armed groups. Netanyahu has followed the matter since his time as Israel's ambassador to the United Nations.
The office added that recent months have seen numerous operations to find the remains, involving both the Lebanese and Israeli sides, including field operations, though it did not specify their nature, locations or outcomes.
Israeli officials involved in the contacts said Lebanon transferred the information to Israel early this week, and Israel verified it against other data before deciding to proceed with the release. Israeli officials declined to characterize the arrangement as a deal.
Gal Hirsch, Israel's coordinator of prisoners and missing persons affairs, is handling the file's processing in Israel, with assistance from American and political bodies participating in contacts with Beirut.
