Israel Releases Five Lebanese Prisoners

Five Lebanese guerrillas who were jailed without trial in Israel arrived in Beirut today after being freed in an apparent goodwill gesture ahead of a new round of peace talks with Lebanon’s political master, Syria.

The men are members of Hezbollah, or Party of God, which is attempting to oust Israeli soldiers and their allied militiamen from an occupied zone in southern Lebanon, near the Israeli border.

The five were met by senior Hezbollah member Naim Qassem, a representative of Lebanese President Emile Lahoud, and a crowd of cheering relatives and well-wishers.

The five had been held as bargaining chips in hopes of securing the return of four missing Israeli servicemen.

A Hezbollah official said the move was the result of German mediation and included guerrillas taken by Israel more than 10 years ago.

Qassem thanked Berlin for its “humanitarian gesture” and said Hezbollah will keep up its war of attrition against Israel.

Peace talks between Israel and Syria, which were relaunched Dec. 15 after a four-year hiatus, are set to resume Jan. 3 outside Washington. Lebanon and Israel have said they also will reopen talks soon, which stalled four years ago as well.

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak has asked Syria to contain Hezbollah as part of the renewed talks. Freeing Hezbollah guerrillas could help calm the guerrilla movement.

Israel’s Channel 2 TV quoted Israeli military sources as saying the prisoner release marks a new chapter in relations with Hezbollah.

Israeli Finance Minister Avraham Shohat said the decision came in light of the renewal of the Syria talks. “There is an atmosphere of talks, there is an atmosphere of compromise, there is an attempt to reach a peace agreement,” he told Israel TV.

However, Hezbollah legislator Ammar Musawi denied a connection between the release and the talks, saying in a television interview that the timing was coincidental.

Israel Radio quoted Israeli military sources as saying the prisoners were freed after a “reassessment of the situation.”

Separately on Sunday, Barak’s office said Israel will release 24 more Palestinian prisoners as part of an accord reached with the Palestinians in September. For the first time in that six-year peace process, the release will include Palestinians who killed Israelis, an official said.