Red Cross hands four more civilians detained by Israel in security zone to Lebanon
AFP reports two are Syrian nationals, though Jerusalem had referred to all four as ‘Lebanese civilians’; PMO says they were interrogated and found to have no terror links
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The International Committee of the Red Cross said Friday it had facilitated the transfer to Lebanon of the four remaining detainees set to be released by Israel, a day after the first man was handed over.
Israel announced on Thursday that it would release the five civilians, amid the two countries’ US-brokered peace talks and after Beirut’s recent assistance in locating the remains of Lebanese Jews killed by Shiite terrorists in the 1980s.
The detainees had been taken into custody in areas of southern Lebanon under the control of the Israel Defense Forces; however, after interrogations, each of the five was determined to be a civilian, unconnected to terror activity.
It was determined that “there is no reason to keep holding them in Israel,” the Prime Minister’s Office said on Thursday.
The four freed on Friday were two Lebanese and two Syrian nationals, a Lebanese official who requested anonymity told AFP. The statement from Netanyahu’s office on Thursday had referred to all five as “Lebanese civilians.”
On Friday, three ICRC vehicles were seen arriving from Israeli-controlled parts of southern Lebanon at the Lebanese army checkpoint in Al-Amiriya, which marks the start of the territory controlled by Beirut.
At the request of the relevant parties, we facilitated the transfer of five individuals released from Israeli detention to Lebanon.
One individual was transferred on Thursday, and four others on Friday, with full respect for the safety and dignity of the individuals involved.… pic.twitter.com/FUNkRa5azO
— ICRC (@ICRC) September 4, 2026
The convoy was escorted by two Lebanese army vehicles to the southern city of Tyre, where the released individuals were to undergo medical examinations and be questioned by the military.
The Red Cross said Friday that it “continues its dialogue with the Israeli authorities” regarding remaining Lebanese detainees, stressing that its role is “purely humanitarian.”
It noted that its teams have not been granted access to people detained by Israel, including Lebanese nationals, since October 2023, when the Hamas terror group attacked Israel from Gaza and, a day later, the Hezbollah terror group attacked Israel from Lebanon.
The latest round of large-scale fighting started March 2, when Iran-backed Hezbollah fired rockets at Israel in solidarity with Tehran. Despite a ceasefire declared in April, fighting has persisted to a lesser extent, and recent days have seen Israel increase its attacks.
Aoun to pressure Israel to release more detainees
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun issued a statement expressing his gratitude “for all the efforts exerted, particularly by the United States under the leadership of US President Donald Trump, and by international bodies, especially the International Committee of the Red Cross.”
“This first step reaffirms the strength of the firm Lebanese position,” he added.
Aoun is expected to put pressure on Israel to release other people detained by the IDF, a source from his office told the Lebanese outlet Al-Jadeed news.
The PMO’s statement on Thursday announcing the decision to release the five detainees emphasized Beirut’s recent efforts to locate the remains of members of Lebanon’s Jewish community who were abducted and murdered by Shiite terror groups in the 1980s.
Those efforts came amid US-brokered peace talks, which are expected to resume in the coming weeks.
At issue in the negotiations is the Israeli-declared “security zone” in southern Lebanon, where the five people released Thursday and Friday were taken into custody.
Katz: No withdrawal from security zone until Hezbollah ‘disarmed throughout Lebanon’
Defense Minister Israel Katz on Friday said the recent operation to take over the major Hezbollah facility in the Ali Taher ridge in southern Lebanon “marks the completion of the phase of establishing control over the security zone.”
“Prime Minister Netanyahu and I are leading a clear and uncompromising policy, reinforced every day by the IDF. Israel will not withdraw from the security zone in Lebanon until Hezbollah is disarmed throughout Lebanon and the threats to the residents of the Galilee are removed,” he said in a statement.
He added that the decision to take control of Ali Taher was made “following intelligence obtained about the presence of Hezbollah command-and-control tunnels there… serving as the last commanding outpost for defending the Nabatieh area.”
In June, Israel and Lebanon signed a framework agreement committing Lebanon to restoring sovereignty over its territory through the “verified disarmament of non-state armed groups,” which would in turn enable a progressive Israeli withdrawal. The State of Lebanon, along with Israel and the US, signed the agreement, but Hezbollah and its allies are opposed to it.
Israel pulled forces out of three pilot zones into which the Lebanese army entered, but has said it will not carry out any further withdrawals before Hezbollah is disarmed.
The Times of Israel Community.