BEIRUT, Lebanon – Israel released a Lebanese civilian on Thursday, a day after capturing him near the disputed Chebaa Farms area, U.N. and Lebanese security officials said.
Israeli troops seized Hisham Daleh, 35, as he was gathering herbs near the village of Chebaa on Wednesday, said the security officials on condition of anonymity for not being authorized to speak to the media.
When Daleh got close to an Israeli military post, troops detained him, they said.
On Thursday, Israeli troops handed Daleh over to U.N. peacekeepers, who then transfered him to the Lebanese army, a U.N. official said.
The disputed Chebaa Farms was captured by Israel during the 1967 Mideast war. The United Nations determined that the area is Syrian, but Lebanon and Syria say it is Lebanese.
Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox