The Israel Defense Force has confirmed the release of 10 Palestinians held in Israeli prisons since their capture in Lebanon in 1985.
Reports of their release came from Arab and then International Red Cross sources last week, but the IDF had then responded with a laconic “no comment.”
There has been no confirmation that these prisoner releases were tied with Israel’s ongoing efforts to secure the release of an Israeli airman, Ron Arad, believed held either in Lebanon or Iran, or any other Israelis captured in Lebanon in the 1980s.
The IDF stresses that the released prisoners had all been held for unspecified offenses not directly related to terrorist activities, and were all freed on completion of their sentences. There was no reference or connection made with negotiations for hostages.
The Red Cross announced last week that it had helped 10 Palestinian prisoners reach Switzerland and provided them with necessary documents to continue to a destination of their choice.
The organization identified the released prisoners as members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
