850 cease-fire
850 cease-fire (850 cease-fire)
Israel has released five Lebanese prisoners as part of ongoing negotiations with Lebanon over the land border between the two countries, Israeli officials said Tuesday. The decision, coordinated with the United States, was framed as a goodwill gesture to Lebanon’s newly elected president.
Lebanese media reported that Israel had jailed several Lebanese nationals during the war and has transferred them back via the Red Cross. The identities of those who were released, as well as any potential ties to Hezbollah, remain unclear.
815314#רכבי הצלב האדום בדרך לראס א-נאקורה בדרום לבנון לקבלת האסירים הצפויים להשתחרר### Share
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Red Cross vehicles in route to pick up the detainees
The negotiations took place in the southern Lebanese town of Naqoura, with delegations from the IDF, Lebanon, the United States and France. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office reported in a statement that the talks resulted in the formation of three joint working groups aimed at stabilizing the region. These groups will focus on five areas in southern Lebanon under Israeli control, disputes over the U.N.-recognized Blue Line border, and the status of Lebanese detainees held by Israel.
The negotiations have been ongoing with U.S. mediation since the end of the tenure of former U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein and continued under his successor, Morgan Ortagus, who has recently visited both Lebanon and Israel.
2רכבי הצלב האדום בדרך לראס א-נאקורה בדרום לבנון לקבלת האסירים הצפויים להשתחרררכבי הצלב האדום בדרך לראס א-נאקורה בדרום לבנון לקבלת האסירים הצפויים להשתחרר
Red Cross vehicles on their way to Ras al-Naqoura in southern Lebanon Tuesday to receive the released prisoners
Lebanese media also reported that a Lebanese soldier was "kidnapped" by Israeli forces earlier this week. According to Al-Mayadeen, a Hezbollah-affiliated outlet, the soldier is among those set to be released. The handover is expected to take place at the Rosh Hanikra crossing following a meeting of the committee overseeing the U.N.-brokered cease-fire agreement.
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Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has been pressing for the release of Lebanese prisoners and raised the issue in a meeting with U.S. Gen. Jasper Jeffers, who heads the cease-fire monitoring committee. French representatives were also present at the talks, and Aoun urged Jeffers to push Israel to implement the agreement, release detainees and withdraw from five disputed points in southern Lebanon.
2מורגן אורטגוסמורגן אורטגוס
Morgan Ortagus (Photo: AFP)
Ortagus, the Trump administration’s special envoy to Lebanon and deputy to special U.S. Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff, expressed optimism about reaching an agreement on the five disputed points where Israeli forces remain. Speaking to Lebanon’s Al-Jadeed TV, she added that "the dismantling of Hezbollah’s arsenal south of the Litani River is part of the agreement" and that efforts are underway to strengthen the Lebanese army’s capabilities so it can assert full control over the area.