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Lebanon Gains From Hostage Deal, Regional Trends

Qatar and the Palestinian Authority, which are at odds with Hezbollah, seem to have played key roles in releasing Lebanese hostages close to Hezbollah.
Lebanese Interior Minister Marwan Charbel (C) speaks to soldiers in Beirut's southern suburbs September 23, 2013. Lebanese security personnel were deployed today in the southern suburbs of Beirut, part of a move to take over the checkpoints set up by Hezbollah after recent car bombings targeted the area, according to the local media.  REUTERS/Sharif Karim (LEBANON - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST) - RTX13WWZ

Lebanon’s Interior Minister Marwan Charbel asserted to Al-Monitor that the Lebanese government has decided to intervene directly in the negotiations aimed at releasing Syrian bishops Youhanna Ibrahim and Boulos Yazigi, who were abducted by Syrian armed groups on April 22.

Charbel told Al-Monitor that the director of Lebanese General Security, Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim, has now assumed this file personally, after he succeeded on Oct. 19 in releasing nine Lebanese who had been held hostage in northern Syria since May 2012. Charbel added that Ibrahim will follow up on the files of all Lebanese detained outside of Lebanon including Sky News photographer Samir Kassab who disappeared in Syria a week ago and Lebanese nationals kidnapped in Nigeria earlier this year.

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