After decades of confinement in the Israeli prisons, and after years of mandatory exile, the detainees returned today. Samir Kantar, Khodor Zidan, Maher Kurani, Mohammed Sarur and Hussein Suleiman are to step on the Lebanese soil once again after a very long time. All - or some - of them returned, while many – especially the families of the detainees in Syria - have always wished the Joy would be completed by the return of their sons. When will this be fulfilled? And where would this new turning point lead to, locally and regionally?

“The government and the return of the prisoners unite Lebanon today,” wrote the daily An-Nahar.

Political Analyst at An-Nahar, George Nassif hailed the return of the Detainees in the Israeli prisons and said: “The return of the Detainees from the Israeli prisons is a national ceremony”.

“The Israeli humiliation is very clear, especially when the Israeli president Chimon Perez said that this is not a happy day for Israel. And the Israeli public have considered the swap to be a defeat for Israel”, he added.

Marwan Daher, Political Analyst and Journalist at Al-liwaa daily, reiterated the importance of the liberation of the detainees and said, “What we have witnessed today is really a victory for the Lebanese people, and a change in the course of things. Israel has really backed-up today”.

However, Nassif pointed out that “The Lebanese detainees in Syria should be remembered too”.

“President Suleiman’s statement Tuesday assured that the case of the detainees in Syria will be followed up thoroughly and with precision,” he added.

On the other hand, MP Fares Souaid’s statement Wednesday revealed another turning point that the release of the detainees brought to light. “Half of the pretexts justifying Hezbollah’s weapons have been removed with the release of the detainees,” Souaid said.

Regarding this matter, Nassif Said, “The issue of Hezbollah’s weapons is being mentioned lately. It is no longer a taboo or a ‘Holy Matter’. However, it should not be approached with a childish enthusiasm to disarm Hezbollah, like a certain party is doing”.

Alternatively, Daher explained that “the issue of Hezbollah’s weapons is to be discussed within the government and with the agreement of all parties and political factions. It is the role of the Lebanese government as a whole to deal with this issue and not the role of certain parties”.
As for the issue of Hezbollah’s role in the future, Nassif explained that “the approach occurring between Syria on one hand and Israel on the other will weaken the role of Hezbollah in the future. In addition to the fact that the Lebanese army and the UNIFIL were present in the South, those factors will limit the performance of Hezbollah”.

Moreover, and concerning the issue of the Shebaa farms, Nassif said that “the Lebanese army has accessed a part of the Shebaa farms recently. It seems that there is a consensus about placing Shebaa under international custody. However, pressure should be practiced on Syria to hand out the maps of the Shebaa farms”.

Finally, Daher reconfirmed “the importance of releasing the Lebanese detainees in the Syrian prisons, for what this issue contributes to the peace process in the Middle East”.