Lebanese prisoners in Israel named as group says fate of 42 remains unknown

The fate of at least 42 Lebanese citizens remains unknown after last year’s war with Israel, while 23 others are still in Israeli imprisonment, according to a memorandum delivered to President Joseph Aoun.

Among the 23, 11 men were captured during the Israeli offensive, nine were captured after a US-brokered ceasefire, and three were taken decades ago, according to the letter sent by the Lebanese Association for Prisoners and Released Detainees.

Cross-border hostilities since October 2023 between the Hezbollah militant group and Israel spiralled into a full-scale war in September 2024, when Israel launched a wide-scale bombing campaign and invaded southern Lebanon.

The war was supposed to end on 27 November 2024, but Israel has continuously violated the ceasefire with frequent strikes and the occupation of five border hills.

It has threatened to renew its war on Lebanon if Hezbollah is not disarmed quickly, accusing the Lebanese government of slowing the disarmament process – a claim Beirut denies.

The prisoners’ association says 10 of the 11 men captured during the war were combatants, identifying them as Waddah Kamel Younes, Youssef Moussa Abdullah, Muhammad Abdul Karim Jawad, Ibrahim Munif Al-Khalil, Hassan Aqeel Jawad, Hadi Mustafa Assaf, Hussein Ali Sharif, Abdullah Khoder Fahda, Ali Qassem Assaf, and Hassan Youssef Qashqoush.

Nearly all of them are from the devastated border village of Ayta al-Shaab.

The eleventh man named is Imad Fadel Amhaz, a naval captain who was taken in an Israeli commando raid in the northern coastal city of Batroun.

The association then lists the names of nine civilians captured by Israeli forces from south Lebanon after the ceasefire, including Ali Nasser Younes, Fouad Habib Qataya, Hassan Ahmad Hammoud, Hussein Amin Karaki, Ali Hasaan Tarhini, Mohammad Ali Jahir, Mortada Hassan Mhanna, Ali Muhammad Fneish, and Maher Fares Hamdan.

Several of them were taken when southern residents tried returning to their border villages in January and then in February this year, when Israel’s military was supposed to completely pull out under the ceasefire terms.

The other three listed are Yehya Muhammad Skaf and Abdullah Khalil Alyan, who were captured in 1978 and 1981 respectively, during Lebanon’s civil war. Muhammad Adel al-Farran was also captured off the coast of Naqoura near the Israeli border in 2005, according to the association.

Additionally, the association says the total number of people whose fate and whereabouts are still unresolved is 42. This group includes individuals who are officially listed as missing with no clear information on whether they are alive or dead, as well as others presumed dead but whose bodies have never been found. It is still unclear whether or not their remains are being held by Israel.

The association urged the state to intensify its efforts to secure the release of the prisoners, press the issue with international organisations, and establish an independent national committee to follow up the cases.

Israeli warning prompts army search

On Saturday, the Israeli military issued an evacuation warning for the southern village of Yanouh, prompting the Lebanese army to rush to the threatened building to check if there were arms.

The incident resulted in a brief altercation between Lebanese soldiers and UN peacekeepers, and Yanouh residents, who said they refused to have their houses checked.

But the LBCI broadcaster later reported that the army found no weapons at the site after thorough inspections, as opposed to Israeli claims.

Hezbollah-affiliated Al Manar TV said Lebanese soldiers would stay near the building to stop Israel from striking it.

The Israeli military later said it was "temporarily" calling off the strike.

The Lebanese army has repeatedly said it is working to disarm Hezbollah, with the first phase of a government-approved plan in the south expected to conclude by year-end.

Israeli media reports have increasingly warned of plans in Tel Aviv to launch another violent campaign against Lebanon to finish disarming Hezbollah, which has refused to surrender its weapons.

Earlier this month, civilian representatives from Lebanon and Israel joined the meetings of a committee tasked with monitoring the ceasefire, marking the first time diplomats from both countries have met since 1983.

President Aoun says Beirut’s decision to send a civilian to the talks is to avoid a second war on Lebanon, urging mediator states to exert more pressure on Israel to end its violations.

He and the government of Prime Minister Nawaf Salam have vowed to disarm Hezbollah and exert a state monopoly on all arms in the country, while also condemning Israel’s ongoing attacks.