Netanyahu has been involved in efforts to resolve their fate for decades, dating back to his time as Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, according to his office.
Eleven prominent members of Beirut’s Jewish community were abducted between 1984 and 1987 as Lebanon descended into civil war, according to the ANU Museum of the Jewish People in Tel Aviv. Only four bodies were recovered, while the fate of the others remained unknown.
Among those kidnapped was Isaac Sasson, president of the Lebanese Jewish community, who was seized by armed men in March 1985 after returning to Beirut from a business trip.
Several of the killings were claimed by the “Organisation of the Oppressed on Earth”, a Shia extremist group believed to have links to Hezbollah.
The PMO said both Israel and Lebanon had carried out numerous operations in recent months to locate the missing remains, including searches on the ground.
Israel said the five Lebanese being released had been detained in areas under IDF control in southern Lebanon.
Following questioning, authorities concluded they were civilians who did not belong to a terrorist organisation and had not been involved in terrorism, the PMO said, adding that there was therefore “no reason to continue holding them in Israel”.
Smoke rising from the site of an Israeli airstrike that targeted al-Mansouri, Lebanon, on September 2, 2026 (Getty Images)AFP via Getty Images
Meanwhile, elsewhere in the country, the IDF announced that it had taken operational control of a strategic Hezbollah stronghold in southern Lebanon and cleared two major underground routes, as work continued to destroy the terror group's vast tunnel network.
Troops from the 36th Division have been operating for several weeks on the Ali al-Taher Ridge, where the military said Hezbollah had constructed a sophisticated underground network over two decades with Iranian funding and planning.
The army said troops had secured the ridge both above and below ground and cleared it of Hezbollah fighters. Some were killed during the operation while others fled, according to the statement.
Ali al-Taher, around 15 kilometres from the Israeli border and roughly 600 metres above sea level, overlooks large areas of southeastern Lebanon. Its elevated position has allowed Hezbollah to use the area for launching short-range missiles and drones towards northern Israel, Reuters reported.
The underground complex discovered by Israeli troops included command centres, weapons storage rooms, generators, living quarters, showers and a kitchen, according to the IDF, allowing Hezbollah fighters to remain underground and conduct operations for extended periods.
The military said Hezbollah operatives based in the tunnels had carried out attacks against Israel and IDF troops, and that their ability to launch further attacks from the network had now been neutralised.
The IDF said work to neutralise the Ali al-Taher underground infrastructure was continuing and that it would adjust its defensive deployment once the operation was completed.
