The Prime Minister’s Office said Thursday that Salah Abu-Hussein, an Israeli citizen who had been imprisoned in Lebanon for about a year, was returned to Israel early Thursday afternoon.
According to a statement from Gal Hirsch, Israel’s coordinator for prisoners and missing persons, the release followed months of negotiations with the assistance of the Red Cross. Abu-Hussein was handed over by Lebanese authorities at the Rosh Hanikra crossing directly to Hirsch.
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Salah Abu-Hussein calls his family after his release from a prison in Lebanon, return to Israel
(Photo: Michael Dimenstein, GPO)
“After questioning and an initial medical check, the citizen was transferred by the IDF to a hospital for further examinations, after which he will meet his family,” the statement said. “The circumstances of the case are under review by security officials.”
Abu-Hussein was imprisoned in Lebanon in July 2024. The circumstances of his arrest remain unclear, and Israel emphasized that no prisoners were released in exchange for him.