JERUSALEM, March 11 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said Israel agreed on Tuesday to release five Lebanese nationals held in Israeli jails, following quadrilateral talks involving Israeli, Lebanese, French, and U.S. officials.
The meeting took place earlier on Tuesday in Naqoura, Lebanon, according to the statement.
Officials agreed to establish three joint working groups "aimed at stabilizing the region." The groups will discuss disputes over the Blue Line, the UN-recognized land border between Israel and Lebanon; disputes over five locations in Lebanon where Israeli troops remain despite a November 2024 ceasefire requiring a full withdrawal; and Lebanese detainees held by Israel.
No details were provided in the statement concerning the identities of the five detainees.
Israel's Army Radio reported that the five, who were held in Israel for several months, would be transferred to Lebanon via the Red Cross later on Tuesday, following U.S.-mediated negotiations.
Meanwhile, according to Lebanese media sources, Israel will release four civilians and a Hezbollah member, while Lebanon has committed to negotiating with Israel regarding the 13 contested border locations.
Israel continues to hold an unknown number of additional Lebanese citizens captured during the 14 months of cross-border fighting with Hezbollah, which began in October 2023. ■
