Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati announced tonight that Israel has liberated nine Lebanese prisoners of war as part of a ceasefire agreement with his country and called for many others being held.

On Sunday, Mikati said he asked the US to mediate the release of these prisoners after the ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel were extended. In his announcement today, he thanked the Red Cross International Committee for his efforts to release “nine Lebanese in Israeli prisons” without giving further clarification for these people. He also asked the DESCs to make efforts to release nine others.

In his own announcement, a representative of the PSC welcomed this development and stressed that “it is ready to play its role, that of the neutral mediator”.

A source close to Hezbollah said yesterday that seven fighters of the organization had been captured by Israeli forces during the war. In addition, the Israeli army arrested an indefinite number of people on Sunday, when residents of South Lebanese attempted to return to their villages, without waiting for the departure of the Israeli forces.

Twenty -four people They were killed on Sunday and two more yesterday Monday, by an Israeli army fire. Today, a Lebanese soldier, who continues his development in South Lebanon, as well as three civilians, were injured by Israeli soldiers.

Based on the agreement that ended the war on November 27, the Israeli army should have completed its departure from southern Lebanon on Sunday, where only the Lebanese army and UN blue -colonies are allowed to be located. However, the US, a country involved in the Truce Monitoring Committee, said the departure was postponed by February 18.