Updated

Israel began handing over five Lebanese detainees after Beirut assisted in locating the remains of slain Israelis, with one man who was seized in October 2025 already transferred to Lebanese military custody via the Red Cross. US officials hailed the moves by Israel and Lebanon as evidence of 'good faith' amid ongoing peace talks between the two sides. Lebanon confirmed it received the first of the five prisoners, identified as Malek Ghazi, marking the first release of a Lebanese citizen held by Israel since talks on prisoner releases began in August. The exchanges represent a modest but notable de-escalatory step in the fraught Israel-Lebanon relationship following the recent conflict.