Al-Akhbar: Israel Offers Lebanon an Exchange of Civilian Prisoners for Jewish Remains

The Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar, which is affiliated with Hezbollah, reports that during contacts between Israel and Lebanon, the Israeli side proposed a separate deal to exchange civilian prisoners and the remains of the dead. According to the newspaper, Israel is primarily interested in the return for reburial of the remains of Jews located in Jewish cemeteries in Beirut and Sidon. The newspaper claims that the Israeli delegation indicated that it has information about a significant number of such graves.

The issue arose within the context of broader negotiations regarding Lebanese prisoners held in Israel. Beirut is demanding the release of 34 Lebanese prisoners, while the Israeli side, according to Lebanese sources, has handed over a list of Jews who disappeared in Lebanon during the civil war and raised the issue of locating and returning their remains. Lebanese officials say this demand is extremely difficult to fulfill, as government agencies lack reliable information about the fate of many of these people and their burial sites.

According to Al-Akhbar, this includes not only the missing but also the remains of Jews believed to be buried in cemeteries in Beirut and Sidon. It is unclear, however, who exactly Israel is willing to release under the proposed deal. Official Israeli sources have not publicly confirmed the contents of the proposal.

The exchange talks are taking place amid a broader dialogue between Israel and Lebanon, mediated by the United States. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun previously announced that the parties are discussing, among other things, a ceasefire, the border, the fate of prisoners, and the creation of “pilot zones” in border areas.

During the Lebanese civil war, several members of the Jewish community were kidnapped and killed. For decades, Israel has sought information about the fate of missing IAF navigator Ron Arad, whose plane was shot down over Lebanon in 1986. The issue of remains has played a key role in previous exchanges between Israel and Hezbollah: in 2008, Israel handed over Samir Kuntar, other prisoners, and the bodies of nearly 200 Lebanese and Palestinian militants in exchange for the remains of soldiers Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev.