Israel announced today it would release two Lebanese vessels and their Lebanese crew members seized in Israeli territorial waters, but would detain four Syrian and two Egyptian seamen on the ships.
Through United Nations supervisors, Israel has been asking Syria and Egypt to return or account for 20 Israelis believed to be prisoners of the two Arab countries. The detention of the six seamen was apparently aimed at strengthening Israel’s-bar gaining powers for that objective.
One of the ships, a fishing vessel, was caught Friday near Haifa. A 97-ton freighter was captured yesterday. The ships and the crew members with are Lebanese will be escorted beyond Israel’s territorial waters and released. Israel does not have any prisoner claims against Lebanon.
Israels detention of a number of Syrian seamen was understood to have been a factor in the release last December by Syria of Israelis held captive for many years.
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