The Red Cross received five Lebanese detainees from Israel on Tuesday evening, weeks after their capture by the Israeli military during the recent war, state news agency NNA reported.
The detainees set free were then transported to the Lebanese Italian Hospital in Tyre, a city in southern Lebanon.
Earlier in the day, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced approval to release the hostages as "a goodwill gesture" toward Lebanon's newly elected President Joseph Aoun, according to a statement from his office.
The declaration followed a four-way meeting in Naqoura involving representatives from the Israeli military, the US, France, and Lebanon.
The statement said the Naqoura talks resulted in an agreement to form "three joint working groups" aimed at stabilizing the region.
These groups will focus on key issues, including the Israeli withdrawal from five points in southern Lebanon, as well as revisiting the pre-war land border between Israel and Lebanon.
The negotiations will also address "the release of saboteurs detained since the war began and held in Israel."
There is no information available regarding the total number of Lebanese prisoners currently held by Israel.
Lebanon continues to demand Israeli withdrawal from five disputed Lebanese hills and release of Lebanese prisoners who were taken during the recent conflict.
A fragile ceasefire has been in place in Lebanon since November 2024, ending months of cross-border warfare between Israel and Hezbollah that escalated into a full-scale conflict last September.
Under the ceasefire deal, Israel was supposed to fully withdraw from southern Lebanon by Jan. 26, but the deadline was extended to Feb. 18 after Israel refused to comply. It still maintains a military presence at five border outposts.
Lebanese authorities reported nearly 1,100 Israeli violations of the ceasefire, including the deaths of at least 85 people and injuries to more than 280 others.
