Beirut: Israel has requested a postponement until Friday for the handover of four additional prisoners to Lebanon, a Lebanese official source told Anadolu on Thursday. The request comes after Beirut had earlier received one prisoner through the Red Cross.
According to Anadolu Agency, the Red Cross was initially scheduled to receive four additional prisoners from Israel on Thursday evening, with plans to hand them over to the Lebanese army. However, Israel cited the need to delay the handover until Friday. The transfer of the four prisoners, including two Syrians, is now expected to occur at the Naqoura crossing at 11 a.m. Friday (9 a.m. GMT), after which they will be transferred to the Lebanese army for medical examinations before being reunited with their families.
The source noted that the names of the prisoners slated for release were not on the list previously distributed by the prisoners' affairs authority. Initially, these four prisoners were expected to be released on Thursday evening. In a related development, a separate source, who wished to remain anonymous, confirmed that Lebanon had received one prisoner, Malik Kamal Ghazi, through the Red Cross, though details were scant.
Malik Kamal Ghazi, 21, who had been detained for 11 months, hails from Ain Ata in the Rashaya district of southern Lebanon. He disappeared in October 2025 while riding his motorcycle near the border, and it was later confirmed that he had been detained by Israeli forces. Israel's public broadcaster, KAN, identified Ghazi as being affiliated with the Lebanese group Hezbollah. He was handed over to the Red Cross at the Naqoura crossing and subsequently transferred to the Lebanese army for medical checks.
Israeli Channel 12 reported that the release of five prisoners was initially planned for Thursday and was being coordinated with the United States as part of ongoing talks with Beirut. This issue is a significant aspect of discussions between the two sides, with preliminary lists exchanged during recent negotiations in Rome.
In related news, Israeli Premier Benjamin Netanyahu's office announced efforts to accelerate the search for and return of the remains of Jewish community leaders in Lebanon. The office disclosed that several operations had taken place in Lebanon and Israel in recent months, though results were not disclosed. The release of the five detainees reportedly followed the determination that they were not affiliated with any "terrorist organization."
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam expressed his welcome for the return of Lebanese detainee Ghazi, stating that the return of any freed Lebanese citizen is a crucial step towards resolving the issues of prisoners and missing persons. He assured continued efforts to release prisoners, discover the fate of the missing, and achieve full Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory.
On the same day, further tensions arose as Israeli forces reportedly abducted three Lebanese citizens from the town of Halta in the Hasbaya district, according to a local source speaking to Anadolu. The Lebanese Association for Prisoners and Freed Prisoners released a list on August 26, naming 36 Lebanese detainees held by Israel, including civilians, farmers, fishermen, volunteers, and fighters.