Shafaq News- Beirut

The Lebanese Army received a Lebanese national who had been held by the Israeli military through the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), local media reported on Thursday.

The detainee was handed over to the Red Cross at the Naqoura border crossing before being transferred to the Lebanese Army.

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said the return of any Lebanese detainee is an important step toward resolving the issue, pledging to continue efforts to secure the release of all Lebanese detainees held by Israel.

The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office announced that five Lebanese nationals detained in areas under Israeli military control in southern Lebanon would be released. “An investigation into the detainees found that they had no ties to any terrorist organization, leaving no grounds for their continued detention.” The office also noted that Lebanese and Israeli authorities "had taken several measures to search for the remains of Jewish people in Lebanon."

Israel’s Channel 12 said Israel was expected to release five Lebanese detainees in coordination with the United States as part of ongoing negotiations with Lebanon, adding that the issue of detainees and missing people remains a key focus of the talks, with preliminary lists exchanged during the latest round of negotiations in Rome.