Lebanon Passes General Amnesty as Status of Families in Israel Remains Disputed

Lebanon's parliament passed a general amnesty law Wednesday, ending a yearslong debate shaped by sectarian demands and prison overcrowding. The law commutes death sentences, reduces life terms and frees some convicted militants and drug offenders, while excluding premeditated murder, terror financing, corruption, rape and trafficking. Lebanese Forces MP Ghada Ayoub said civilians who fled to Israel after the 2000 withdrawal may return. Separate reporting said the law's application to those families remains unclear and that people convicted of collaboration with Israel are excluded.