BEIRUT, March 13 (Xinhua) -- The Lebanese army received the soldier Ziad Shibli on Thursday at the Ras Naqoura border crossing in southwestern Lebanon after a delay in his release by the Israeli military.
An army statement posted on the social media platform X said, "The soldier, who was abducted by the Israeli enemy on March 9, has been transferred to a hospital for treatment."
Shibli was handed over to the Lebanese side through the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), marking the fifth Lebanese detainee freed by Israel.
The Israeli army released four Lebanese prisoners on Tuesday, handing them over to the ICRC. They were sent to a hospital in the southern Lebanese city of Tyre after being transferred by the ICRC to Lebanese authorities, Lebanon's official National News Agency reported. Shibli is initially scheduled to be released alongside his four peers on Tuesday.
Israel continues to hold an unknown number of additional Lebanese citizens captured during the nearly 14 months of cross-border fighting with Hezbollah, which began in October 2023.
The release of Lebanese detainees followed quadrilateral talks on Tuesday involving Israeli, Lebanese, French, and U.S. officials.
According to earlier reports from Lebanese media outlets, in exchange for the release, Lebanon has committed to negotiating with Israel regarding 13 contested border locations.
Since Nov. 27, 2024, a U.S.- and French-brokered ceasefire agreement between Israel and Lebanon has been in effect, bringing an end to prolonged clashes between Hezbollah and Israel triggered by the Gaza war. However, the Israeli military remained in several strategic locations in Lebanon despite the February 18 withdrawal deadline outlined in the agreement. ■
