[4] Following the attempted assassination of the Israeli Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Shlomo Argov, by the Abu Nidal Organization, Israel initiated Operation Peace of the Galilee in June 1982, in order to terminate the military activity of the Palestine Liberation Organization and Syrian forces around the Israeli-Lebanese border.
In 1985, Israel withdrew most of its troops, leaving the South Lebanon Army, an Israeli-supported Lebanese militia, to protect a security buffer zone in southern Lebanon, which Israel considered necessary to prevent attacks on its northern territory.
Hezbollah has named two individuals who it says are Lebanese citizens held in Israeli jails.
Hezbollah demanded the release of Samir Kuntar, Nissim Nasser, and Skaff at the time of the 2004 Israel-Hezbollah prisoner exchange.
On June 1, 2008, Nasser was released in exchange for the body parts of Israeli soldiers killed during the 2006 Lebanon war.