The Israeli government said on Thursday it had decided to release five Lebanese prisoners, in what would be a rare sign of progress amid difficult negotiations between Lebanon and Israel. The prisoners would be the first Lebanese detainees released by Israel since it began its latest war with the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group in March. The office of Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, said the prisoners had been detained in areas of southern Lebanon under Israeli military control, but did not say whether this had occurred during the latest round of fighting. Israel had determined that they were not members of armed groups, the prime minister’s office said. In recent months, the Trump administration has mediated rare direct negotiations between Israel and Lebanon aimed at disarming Hezbollah and ending Israel’s occupation of territory in southern Lebanon, but the talks have seen little progress. As part of the talks, Israel and Lebanon have also made “extensive efforts” to find and repatriate the bodies of Jewish leaders in Lebanon who were murdered in the 1980s by armed groups, Mr. Netanyahu’s office said. He did not say whether any had yet been returned to Israel. Senior Israeli and Lebanese officials have met in Rome and Washington, breaking a decades-old taboo against public meetings between officials of the two governments. Michel Issa, the US ambassador to Lebanon, visited Israel this week to meet with Netanyahu. Hezbollah attacked Israel in solidarity with Iran days after the United States and Israel began their war against Iran in February. In response, Israel launched an intense military campaign in Lebanon, which was halted after a US-imposed ceasefire in April. Despite US-sponsored negotiations, Israeli troops continue to carry out attacks in Lebanon, and it is still unclear whether the Lebanese government will be able to disarm Hezbollah, which may outgun the Lebanese army. So far, the talks have produced two “pilot zones” in southern Lebanon, where the Lebanese army has been deployed. Disagreements persist over what it means to disarm Hezbollah and who will verify that it has been carried out, according to two diplomats briefed on the talks who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly. Hundreds of thousands of Lebanese are still displaced due to the fighting, while Hezbollah has denounced the Lebanese government for negotiating with Israel. The return of the Lebanese detainees, analysts said, would allow the Lebanese government and the Trump administration to demonstrate that the talks are having results. Nawaf Salam, the Lebanese prime minister, called the return of Lebanese prisoners “an important step” and thanked the Trump administration for the “efforts made in this regard.” “No matter how difficult the path of negotiations may seem, we will continue to rally all necessary efforts to safeguard Lebanon’s rights,” Salam said on social media.
