Lebanese prisoners in Israel have been a source of contention between
Lebanon
Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to the north and east and Israel to the south, while Cyprus li ...
and
Israel
Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
and were an issue in the
2006 Lebanon War
The 2006 Lebanon War, also called the 2006 Israel–Hezbollah War and known in Lebanon as the July War ( ar, حرب تموز, ''Ḥarb Tammūz'') and in Israel as the Second Lebanon War ( he, מלחמת לבנון השנייה, ''Milhemet Leva ...
. The number of such detainees is disputed. According to the Lebanese paramilitary and political party
Hezbollah
Hezbollah (; ar, حزب الله ', , also transliterated Hizbullah or Hizballah, among others) is a Lebanese Shia Islamist political party and militant group, led by its Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah since 1992. Hezbollah's parami ...
, there are two Lebanese citizens in Israeli prisons, but Israel denies holding them.
[.] Hezbollah had demanded the release of Lebanese prisoners as condition for releasing Israeli reservists
Ehud Goldwasser
Ehud "Udi" Goldwasser ( he, אהוד גולדווסר; 18 July 1975 – 12 July 2006) was an Israeli soldier who was abducted in Israel by Hezbollah along with Eldad Regev on 12 July 2006, sparking the 2006 Lebanon War. His rank was First Sergean ...
and
Eldad Regev
Eldad Regev ( he, אלדד רגב, 16 August 1980 – 12 July 2006) was an Israeli soldier abducted by Hezbollah fighters along with Ehud Goldwasser on 12 July 2006 in Israel near the Lebanese border, sparking the 2006 Lebanon War. His rank wa ...
, captured in the Hezbollah raid which started the 2006 Lebanon War.
On July 16, 2008, the
Israel Prison Service
Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
released five Lebanese prisoners in exchange for the remains of Goldwasser and Regev.
Context
Following the attempted assassination of the Israeli Ambassador to the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
,
Shlomo Argov
Shlomo Argov ( he, שלמה ארגוב; 14 December 1929 – 23 February 2003) was an Israeli diplomat. He was the Israeli ambassador to the United Kingdom whose attempted assassination led to the 1982 Lebanon War.
Early life and education
Arg ...
, by the
Abu Nidal Organization
The Abu Nidal Organization (ANO) is the most common name for the Palestinian nationalist militant group Fatah – The Revolutionary Council ('' Fatah al-Majles al-Thawry''). The ANO is named after its founder Abu Nidal. It was created by a sp ...
,
Israel
Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
initiated
Operation Peace of the Galilee
The 1982 Lebanon War, dubbed Operation Peace for Galilee ( he, מבצע שלום הגליל, or מבצע של"ג ''Mivtsa Shlom HaGalil'' or ''Mivtsa Sheleg'') by the Israeli government, later known in Israel as the Lebanon War or the First L ...
in June 1982, in order to terminate the military activity of the
Palestine Liberation Organization
The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO; ar, منظمة التحرير الفلسطينية, ') is a Palestinian nationalism, Palestinian nationalist political and militant organization founded in 1964 with the initial purpose of establ ...
and
Syria
Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...
n forces around the Israeli-Lebanese border. With U.S. assistance, Israel and Lebanon reached a
withdrawal accord in May 1983, which was then recalled by Lebanon in March 1984, due to pressure from Syria. In 1985, Israel withdrew most of its troops, leaving the
South Lebanon Army
The South Lebanon Army or South Lebanese Army (SLA; ar, جيش لبنان الجنوبي, Jayš Lubnān al-Janūbiyy), also known as the Lahad Army ( ar, جيش لحد, label=none) and referred to as the De Facto Forces (DFF) by the United Nat ...
, an Israeli-supported Lebanese militia, to protect a
security buffer zone in southern Lebanon, which Israel considered necessary to prevent attacks on its northern territory. Israel relinquished the security zone and withdrew behind the
Blue Line in May 2000.
Persons named by Hezbollah
Hezbollah has named two individuals who it says are Lebanese citizens held in Israeli jails.
*
Yehia Skaff Yahya Skaf, also spelled Yehia Skaff (Arabic language, Arabic: يحيى سكاف), from the Bhanine (Menyeh) district of Lebanon, is a person claimed to have been arrested by Israel on 11 March 1978 for participation in the Coastal Road massacre. Is ...
is accused of participating in the 1978
Coastal Road massacre. According to Hezbollah, several former Lebanese detainees said they have seen him in an Israeli prison. Israeli sources said he was killed in the massacre with his body never found.
*Ali Faratan is a fisherman. Hezbollah gave no reason for his alleged detention. Israel denies holding him.
Hezbollah
Hezbollah (; ar, حزب الله ', , also transliterated Hizbullah or Hizballah, among others) is a Lebanese Shia Islamist political party and militant group, led by its Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah since 1992. Hezbollah's parami ...
demanded the release of
Samir Kuntar
Samir Kuntar ( ar, سمير القنطار, also transcribed ''Sameer'', ''Kantar'', ''Quntar'', ''Qantar''; 20 July 1962 – 19 December 2015) was a Lebanese Druze member of the Palestine Liberation Front and Hezbollah. He was convicted of terr ...
,
Nissim Nasser, and Skaff at the time of the
2004 Israel-Hezbollah prisoner exchange. On June 1, 2008, Nasser was released in exchange for the body parts of Israeli soldiers killed during the 2006 Lebanon war.
Kuntar was released in a prisoner exchange on July 16, 2008.
Missing persons, according to the Lebanese government
In addition to the above, the following people were listed in
letterdated March 2004 to the
United Nations
The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...
Commission on Human Rights
A human rights commission, also known as a human relations commission, is a body set up to investigate, promote or protect human rights.
The term may refer to international, national or subnational bodies set up for this purpose, such as nationa ...
by Lebanon's UN permanent representative as having been arrested during the 1982 Israeli occupation of Lebanon and still missing. The allegations are disputed by Israel.
*Mooussa El Sheikh Selman, from
Maarka village. Said to have been arrested on June 8, 1982, and wounded when transported by an
ICRC
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC; french: Comité international de la Croix-Rouge) is a humanitarian organization which is based in Geneva, Switzerland, and it is also a three-time Nobel Prize Laureate. State parties (signator ...
staffer from the rest house of
Tyre to the field hospital of the Israeli army near
Mealliya. His fate remains unknown.
*Bilal Samadi, said to have been seized on June 4, 1982, with five other persons on the bridge of the
Awali
Awali is a small municipality located approximately in the centre of the Kingdom of Bahrain, a small island in the Persian Gulf. Founded in the 1930s by the Bahrain Petroleum Company, it is populated mostly by workers of various nationalities ...
River following an Israeli ambush.
*Ibrahim Zein El Din, a teacher in
aaklinSecondary School. Said to have been seized by the Israeli forces at his fiancée’s house on October 8, 1982, and transferred to the Israeli intelligence center located then in
Ras El Jabal
Ras or RAS may refer to:
Arts and media
* RAS Records Real Authentic Sound, a reggae record label
* Rundfunk Anstalt Südtirol, a south Tyrolese public broadcasting service
* Rás 1, an Icelandic radio station
* Rás 2, an Icelandic radio statio ...
in
Aley
Aley ( ar, عاليه) is a major city in Lebanon. It is the capital of the Aley District and fourth largest city in Lebanon.
The city is located on Mount Lebanon, 15 km uphill from Beirut on the freeway to Damascus. Aley has the nick ...
(
Mount Lebanon
Mount Lebanon ( ar, جَبَل لُبْنَان, ''jabal lubnān'', ; syr, ܛܘܪ ܠܒ݂ܢܢ, ', , ''ṭūr lewnōn'' french: Mont Liban) is a mountain range in Lebanon. It averages above in elevation, with its peak at .
Geography
The Mount Le ...
). Two of his friends, Nazih Abou Ajram and Mounir Chami, who were arrested later on, professed to having seen him chained and naked with torture marks on his body.
*Mohamad Said El Jarrar, from
Chebaa village. Said to have been seized in 1979 by Israeli forces and imprisoned in
Tal Nahas
TAL or Tal may refer to:
Acronym
* Ralph M. Calhoun Memorial Airport (IATA code: TAL), in Tanana, Alaska
* TAL – Transportes Aéreos Ltda, the original name of TAC – Transportes Aéreos Catarinense, a Brazilian airline
* TAL effector, a famil ...
camp, then transferred to Israeli intelligence in
Metlli. Toufic Fakhouri, one of the released detainees, has allegedly said to have recognized Mohamad El Jarrar in 1987, in one of the Israeli detention centers located in
Ramallah
Ramallah ( , ; ar, رام الله, , God's Height) is a Palestinian city in the central West Bank that serves as the ''de facto'' administrative capital of the State of Palestine. It is situated on the Judaean Mountains, north of Jerusale ...
.
*Jamil Amhaz. Said to have been kidnapped by the Israeli forces in 1984. According to his family, he is imprisoned in the
Chateh jail in Israel. Israel denies this.
*Mohamad Ali Hawa. Said to have been arrested by the Israeli forces in 1984 on
Bater crossing in
Jezzine
Jezzine ( ''Jizzīn'') is a town in Lebanon, located from Sidon and south of Beirut. It is the capital of Jezzine District. Surrounded by mountain peaks, pine forests (like the Bkassine Pine Forest), and at an average altitude of 950 m (3 ...
(Lebanon) and taken to the
Aber
Aber may refer to:
Places
* Aber and Inver (placename elements)
* Aber, Ceredigion
* Abergwyngregyn, popularly known by the short form "Aber"
* Aberystwyth, popularly known by the short form "Aber"
* Aber Village, Powys, Wales
* Abergavenny, M ...
center. Allegedly, his mother saw him wounded with a bleeding leg.
*Mohamad Ali Gharib is said to have been kidnapped on August 12, 1984, by the Israeli forces on the Bater crossing in Jezzine. He was allegedly transferred to the
Homsieh hill then to Israel. His family reported that the freed detainee Ali Noura has reported to have seen him in
Atlit Prison
Atlit ( he, עַתְלִית, ar, عتليت) is a coastal town located south of Haifa, Israel. The community is in the Hof HaCarmel Regional Council in the Haifa District of Israel.
Off the coast of Atlit is a submerged Neolithic village. Atli ...
in 1985.
*Hassan Ramez Ballout was said to have been arrested in 1984, in his hometown
Kfarmelky by the Israeli forces. Ballout allegedly stayed in the Jezzine barracks for eight months and was told to be wounded with infections in his leg. His fate remains unknown.
*Maher Kassir from
Deir Kanoun el Naher
Deir or DEIR may refer to:
*Ad Deir or The Monastery, a building in Petra, Jordan
* Tell Deir, an archaeological site in Lebanon
*Deir ez-Zor
, population_urban =
, population_density_urban_km2 =
, population_density_urban_sq_mi =
...
village. He was allegedly kidnapped by the Israeli forces on June 17, 1984, in the area of the
Sciences University
Science is a systematic endeavor that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe.
Science may be as old as the human species, and some of the earliest archeological evidence for ...
located in
Chweifat, southern Beirut. His fate is unknown.
*Mohamad El Abouchi from
Mina in northern Lebanon. He was said to have been kidnapped in 1990. His family asserts that he is detained in Israel. Israel denies this.
*Jammal Habba from
Sidon
Sidon ( ; he, צִידוֹן, ''Ṣīḏōn'') known locally as Sayda or Saida ( ar, صيدا ''Ṣaydā''), is the third-largest city in Lebanon. It is located in the South Governorate, of which it is the capital, on the Mediterranean coast. ...
, southern Lebanon was said to have been kidnapped at the
Barbarra checkpoint in 1982. His family asserts that he is in Israel. Israel denies this.
*Samir El Khorfan, a soldier in the Lebanese army is said to have been kidnapped in the
Majdalyoun area on October 30, 1983. His fate remains unknown.
Missing persons
People who have been missing since the Israeli military presence in southern Lebanon include:
[ (MS-Word document).]
*Hassan Sami Taha
*Hussein Zeid
*Ibrahim Nour el Din
*Mohamad Moallem
*Nizard Ali Merhi
*Souheil Rammal
*Khaled Kachmor
*Khaled Chahine
*Ali Kachmor
*Said Bleibel
*Taleb Abo Raya
*Ahmed Harbawi
Deceased militants allegedly kept in Israel
There are also some former Lebanese militants, now presumed deceased, and alleged to be kept by Israel in secret graves, including:
*Yahya El Khaled
*Ayad Kassir
*Hussein Daher
*Elias Harb
*Farjallah Fouaani
See also
*
Israeli MIA prisoner exchanges
Israeli may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to the State of Israel
* Israelis, citizens or permanent residents of the State of Israel
* Modern Hebrew, a language
* ''Israeli'' (newspaper), published from 2006 to 2008
* Guni Israeli ...
*
Suha Bishara
Souha Bechara (; born 15 June 1967) is a Lebanese former prisoner at the Khiam detention center. In 1988, she unsuccessfully attempted to assassinate Antoine Lahad, the then-leader of the Israel-backed South Lebanon Army (SLA); she was subseque ...
- detained 1988-98
Sources
Jerusalem Post
External links
Follow Up Committee for the Support of the Lebanese Detainees in Israeli Prisons
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lebanese Prisoners In Israel
Israeli–Lebanese conflict
2006 Lebanon War
Lists of prisoners and detainees
Prisoners and detainees of Israel
Isr, Isr