Israel Reportedly Frees 46 Shias as Ramadan Ends
The Israeli army freed 46 Lebanese Shia Muslims from a prison in its self-declared security zone in southern Lebanon to mark the end of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, sources said Wednesday.
The sources said the prisoners had been jailed for carrying out guerrilla actions in the zone set up north of Israel’s border in 1985 to deter attacks on Israeli territory. The prison in Khiam usually holds 150 to 200 prisoners, they said.
Israel has previously denied any connection with the prison, which it says is run by the South Lebanon Army, its Christian-led militia ally in the region. Israel has rebuffed Red Cross and journalists’ requests to visit the prison and denied an Amnesty International report that said Israelis were involved in torturing prisoners at Khiam.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
