Israel frees nine Lebanon POWs, PM seeks release of nine more

Lebanon's caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati said Tuesday that Israel had freed nine Lebanese prisoners under the terms of a more than six-week-old ceasefire and urged the release of another nine.

Israeli forces had been due to withdraw from southern Lebanon by Sunday under the terms of the ceasefire agreement with Lebanese militant group Hezbollah but that deadline was extended until February 18.

In a statement released on Tuesday, Mikati thanked the International Committee of the Red Cross for its role in the release of the nine prisoners of war freed by Israel so far.

He also asked the ICRC to work for the release of "nine other Lebanese still held in Israel".

Mikati had already appealed to the United States on Sunday to use its influence with its ally to secure the release of Lebanese detained by Israel during the war.

In a statement on Tuesday, the ICRC welcomed the release of the first batch of Lebanese prisoners.

The ICRC "remains ready to fulfil its role as a neutral intermediary in facilitating the release, transfer and repatriation of individuals detained in connection with the conflict," a spokesperson said.

A source close to Hezbollah told AFP on Monday that seven of its fighters had been captured during the war.

Israeli troops have also detained a number of Lebanese since Sunday who were attempting to return to their homes in the south without waiting for the army to complete its delayed withdrawal.

Troops killed 24 returning residents on Sunday and another two on Monday, Lebanese authorities said.

On Tuesday, Israeli fire wounded a Lebanese soldier who was deploying to the south in accordance with the ceasefire, along with three civilians, an army statement said.

An Israeli air strike also wounded 14 people in the southern city of Nabatiyeh al-Fawqa on Tuesday, the Lebanese health ministry said.