Israel on Friday released four Lebanese prisoners and handed them over to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) under a US-mediated deal linked to Lebanon’s search for the remains of Jewish Lebanese citizens who disappeared during the country’s civil war.

Five Lebanese civilians are being released under the agreement. The first detainee, Malek Ghazi, was released to the ICRC on Thursday and later handed over to the Lebanese army.

The ICRC said the remaining four prisoners were transferred to its custody on Friday. It also called for access to other detainees held in Israeli facilities, saying its teams have not been able to visit them since October 2023.

Mahmoud Ayash, whose brother Hussein was among those detained, said his brother had been held for more than two months and called from the Naqoura border crossing to say he had been released.

The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel agreed to free the five Lebanese civilians after Lebanon assisted in efforts to locate the remains of Lebanese Jewish leaders who Israel says were abducted and killed by militant groups during the 1980s civil war.

Dozens of Lebanese prisoners, including civilians and Hezbollah members, are believed to remain in Israeli detention.

The prisoner release comes amid rare direct negotiations between Israel and Lebanon, which do not have diplomatic relations. The talks began after the latest conflict between Israel and Hezbollah erupted on March 2.

In June, the two countries reached a US-mediated framework agreement under which Israeli forces would withdraw from parts of southern Lebanon in return for Hezbollah’s disarmament. Little progress has been made in implementing the agreement.

Hezbollah is not participating in the negotiations and has rejected demands to surrender its weapons north of the Litani River. Israel, meanwhile, says it will not withdraw fully unless Hezbollah is disarmed across Lebanon.

Another round of Israel-Lebanon talks is expected in Rome later this month.