An Arab-Israeli man who had crossed into Lebanon from Israel about a month ago was repatriated by Hezbollah through the mediation of UN peacekeepers.
The negotiations for his return "were handled quietly and carefully" while he remained in Lebanon, according to Israeli army spokesman Brig. Gen. Ran Kochav.
He crossed into the territory on foot, Kochav said, and "returned unharmed and in good health,” via Ras al-Naqoura.
The man is identified as a civilian resident of the south with a criminal record and known mental health issues.
The man had intended to get to Lebanon in order to join Hezbollah’s ranks. After crossing, he was stopped by Hezbollah members who took him in for questioning.
In February, to secure the release of an Israeli woman held in Syria, Israel agreed to finance a supply of Russian-made Covid-19 vaccines for Damascus.
In return for her freedom, the Israeli government announced, she had been exchanged for two Syrian shepherds captured by the Israelis. In secret, Israel had in fact also agreed to a far more contentious ransom: the financing of an undisclosed number of coronavirus vaccines for Syria.
