Civilian exchange and missing persons search agreement between Israel and Lebanon
Israel and Lebanon have reached an agreement for the release of five civilians held in southern Lebanon in exchange for cooperation in investigating the fate of Lebanese Jewish leaders kidnapped during the civil war in the 1980s.
Under a new agreement reached between Israel and Lebanon, five civilians held by Israeli forces in southern Lebanon are being released. In return for this exchange, the Lebanese side will support efforts to locate the remains of Lebanese Jewish leaders who were kidnapped and killed during the civil war in the 1980s.
The agreement has renewed interest in the history of the Lebanese Jewish community, whose population has significantly declined since the 1960s due to regional conflicts and rising antisemitic trends. According to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, there are at least seven Jews among the 17,000 people who have been missing since the civil war era. These individuals include former community president Isac Sasson, doctor Elie Hallak, and former secretary-general Salim Jamous.
Although the Lebanese state recognizes Judaism as an official religious sect, very few Jews live in the country today, and the majority of the community resides abroad.