Deal reached over hostage crisis: mediator

BEIRUT: A preliminary agreement has been reached between the Lebanese government and the Nusra Front for the release of captive Lebanese servicemen, according to an informal mediator who is close to the jihadi group.

Sheikh Mustafa Hujeiri, an informal mediator negotiating the release of Lebanese captives being held by the Nusra Front, told The Daily Star that the Lebanese government earlier this month restarted detailed negotiations with the jihadi group in an effort to secure the release of Lebanese captives.

Hujeiri, who maintains close ties with the Nusra Front, said that negotiations have led to “a preliminary agreement that will make way for the release of the Lebanese servicemen.”

“The agreement has been reached. There is one small complication left but when that is resolved the next step would be the implementation of the deal,” Hujeiri said, without disclosing the exact nature of the obstacle hindering the accord.

25 Lebanese servicemen are still being held hostage by ISIS and the Nusra Front on the outskirts of Arsal.

More than 30 soldiers and police were abducted by the militants during a five-day battle with the Lebanese Army in Arsal in August. Eight hostages have since been released and four were killed.

According to Hujeiri, a solution may take time to materialize since the final agreement would require consensus among Cabinet’s members.

With regards to ISIS, the Arsal sheikh said that mediation efforts with the group were were currently “suspended.”

The agreement with the Nusra Front has come after the group reportedly softened its demands for the release of the hostages.

The Nusra Front has demanded the release of Islamist inmates in return for the release of the captive servicemen. “Softened demands” could mean that the group is no longer requesting the release of high profile Islamist inmates, settling instead for those who are accused of minor offences.

Hujeiri said that the government is still waiting for a full list of prisoner’s names after it had received the names of some inmates whose release was demanded in a prisoner swap for the Lebanese hostages.

Hujeiri also noted that the Lebanese government has displayed a renewed willingness to negotiate, saying that “it has become much closer to accepting militant’s demands than any time in the past.”

The positive turn in the negotiations is evidenced by the fact that the families of three of the hostages have visited their sons in Lebanon's outskirts earlier this month. The captors had halted family visits for a brief period of time when negotiations with the government had reached a stalemate but their resumption could reflect the renewed seriousness in talks between the two parties.

Late last month, General Security chief Abbas Ibrahim, who is heading negotiation efforts, said that positive signs on the Lebanese hostage crisis have emerged recently.

“It seems that there are positive signs on the part of the kidnappers to end the crisis,” Ibrahim said. “We are working on conditions and counter-conditions, and we hope we reach a happy ending.”