Lebanon Receives Fifth Detainee in Recent Release by Israel
-
Hashim Sheikh - . March 13, 2025
- . Update: March 13, 2025 4:44 pm
The Lebanese army said it received a soldier taken by Israel last weekend. This soldier is the fifth detainee released by Israel. Earlier this week Lebanon had already received four other detainees. The army said the soldier was brought in through the International Committee of the Red Cross. He was taken on Sunday by Israeli forces and was later taken to a hospital for treatment.
Israel said it is releasing these detainees as a goodwill gesture to Lebanon’s new President, Joseph Aoun. The decision came after a meeting in Naqoura, a town near the Lebanese border. Representatives from Israel, the United States, France, and Lebanon took part in that meeting. The move is part of ongoing efforts to ease tensions in the region.
Morgan Ortagus, the US Deputy Special Envoy for the Middle East, said that the five detainees include both civilians and soldiers.
Although the ceasefire holds Israel continues to carry out periodic air strikes in Lebanon. Israel says these strikes are meant to stop Hezbollah from rearming or returning to the border area. The release of the detainee is seen as a small step towards lowering tensions between the two nations.
Lebanon’s army and government officials hope that such gestures will lead to a more peaceful future. They believe that further positive moves will help ease the long-standing conflict in the region.
