Israel releases Lebanese civilian Malek Ghazi under US-mediated agreement

Civilian release at Naqoura

Israel released Lebanese civilian Malek Kamal Ghazi on Thursday, September 3, 2026, transferring him through the International Committee of the Red Cross to Lebanese authorities at the border crossing in Naqoura. Ghazi had been in Israeli custody since October 2025, when he disappeared after leaving his home to exercise in southern Lebanon. Following his transfer, Lebanese military personnel escorted him to an army intelligence facility in Tyre to undergo a medical examination. Israeli officials confirmed that Ghazi is the first of five detained civilians scheduled for repatriation after security interrogations confirmed they held no ties to militant organizations. Lebanese authorities and prisoner advocacy representatives stated that the release of the four remaining civilians is scheduled for Friday, while 35 Lebanese detainees, including 20 civilians, remain in Israeli detention facilities.

Search for remains from the 1980s

The prisoner repatriations coincide with bilateral efforts to locate and recover the remains of Lebanese Jewish community leaders who were abducted and killed during the 1980s. Between 1984 and 1987, armed groups in Lebanon assassinated at least seven Jewish community leaders, and several bodies were never recovered. Israeli and Lebanese teams have carried out multiple ground operations in recent months to identify the burial sites. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office issued a formal statement explaining the decision to repatriate the non-combatant detainees.

After their interrogation was completed, it became clear that they are civilians who are not members of any terrorist organization, have not engaged in terrorism, and there is no reason to continue holding them in Israel.

United States mediation efforts

The releases follow direct negotiations mediated by the United States between Israeli and Lebanese delegations in Rome and Washington. The United States ambassador to Lebanon, Michel Issa, finalized the release terms during meetings with Israeli officials in Jerusalem earlier in the week. The diplomatic process is rooted in a framework agreement signed in June 2026, which outlines terms for detainee exchanges, the return of human remains, and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon. Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam thanked Washington for its mediation while outlining his administration's remaining objectives.

We will continue working until all our prisoners are released, the fate of the missing is revealed, and a complete Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory is achieved.

Stalled framework and border detentions

Progress on the broader security terms of the June agreement remains stalled because Hezbollah has rejected clauses requiring its complete disarmament. The Lebanese army has deployed to only two designated pilot zones in the south, while disagreements persist between the parties over disarmament verification procedures. On the same day as Ghazi's release, village leader Issa Abedelaal reported that Israeli troops entered the southern village of Halta in Hasbaya province and detained three local farmers. The incident occurred within an occupied area of approximately 600 square kilometres and was formally reported to the US-led International Monitoring and Implementation Mechanism.