The U.S. Embassy in Lebanon considers Israel's release of Lebanese prisoners a positive step

The U.S. Embassy in Lebanon on Friday described Israel’s release of a number of Lebanese prisoners and detainees as part of the trilateral agreement as a “positive step.”

In a post on X, the embassy said, “We welcome Israel’s release of prisoners within the framework of the trilateral arrangement between Lebanon and Israel, and we consider this a positive step. We urge both sides to continue building on this momentum in preparation for the next round of talks.”

In a related development, the Lebanese Presidency relayed that President Joseph Aoun, during his meeting with U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Aoun and members of the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee and the House Armed Services Committee, emphasized the need to pursue the release of remaining Lebanese prisoners and detainees held by Israel. He added that this should be done in accordance with the agreements reached during the trilateral negotiations and in continuation of the trilateral framework process.

The Presidency stated that the two sides reviewed the current situation and recent developments, particularly the release of a batch of Lebanese detainees from Israeli prisons, as well as preparations for the upcoming round of Lebanese-American-Israeli negotiations.

A statement issued by the Lebanese Prime Minister’s Office also conveyed that Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, during his meeting with the U.S. ambassador and a delegation from the U.S. Senate, affirmed that the negotiating framework aims at the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanese territory and the extension of state authority over all of Lebanon’s lands.

Earlier today, Lebanon announced that it had received four prisoners from Israel via the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) at the Ras al-Naqoura border crossing. The ICRC subsequently handed them over to the Lebanese Army at the Mansouri area in southern Lebanon.