Rome Negotiations Reopen the File of 11 Lebanese Jews: New Details and Developments

The ongoing Rome negotiations between Lebanon and Israel have reopened one of the most complex historical files: the case of 11 Lebanese Jews who were executed after being abducted in Beirut during the Lebanese Civil War in the 1980s.

Below are the key aspects of this political and security development:

Israeli insistence on including the issue in negotiations:

The Israeli delegation has insisted on placing the issue of the missing Jewish Lebanese individuals as a central item on the agenda of the Rome talks, refusing to advance on other tracks without resolving this matter.

Nature of the demands:

Tel Aviv is pressing for the disclosure of the secret burial sites of those abducted and for the precise identification of the locations where their remains were buried.

Direct negotiating linkage:

Israel has linked revealing the fate of these remains to the issue of releasing Lebanese prisoners and recovering the bodies of Lebanese detainees held by the Israeli side.

Background of the group involved:

Available information indicates that the abductions (1984–1986) were carried out by a group known as the “Organization of the Oppressed on Earth,” which later formed the initial nucleus of the emergence of Hezbollah.

Prominent figures among the victims:

The list of abductees included leaders and prominent figures of Lebanon’s Jewish community, most notably community president Isaac Sasson, community secretary-general Salim Jammous, and physician Eli Hallaq.

Political dimensions and messages:

By raising this file, Israel aims to expand the scope of negotiations to include the historical and security foundations surrounding the formation of Hezbollah, while also sending a message to the Israeli public that it remains committed to recovering all of its missing persons, regardless of how much time has passed.