Official Israeli sources announced on Israel Radio that Israel is handing over two bodies of Hizbullah Lebanese fighters, ‘Amar Mahmoud and Ghasan Za’atar, to Hizbullah via the Red Cross. Mahmoud was killed at the end of 1999 and Za’atar in 1998.
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Ghasan Za’atar
The Hizbullah-funded television station, Al-Manar has been devoting considerable airtime this past week preparing its public for negotiations with what it describes as ‘the Zionist enemy.’ Israel is demanding the return of three soldiers kidnapped during a routine patrol on the Lebanese border and the return of an Israeli businessman, Elhanan Tennenbaum.
Hizbullah leader Sheikh Hasan Na’srallah has admitted that there are ongoing negotiations via German intermediaries and that he believes there will be a “happy solution” to the kidnapping issue. Israel also believes that Hizbullah has information on Israeli soldiers missing in action, including the air force navigator, Ron Arad.
Israel has been holding senior Hizbullah leaders Sheikh ‘Umar and Sheikh ‘Ubeid, caught in daring raids over a decade ago, as well as many bodies of Hizbullah fighters. Security sources in Israel have said the Sheikhs are bargaining chips for information on Israeli citizens held captive by Hizbullah.
Although Hizbullah is sworn to Israel’s destruction and regularly preaches that the end is nigh for Israel and victory will be sweet, negotiations between the two sides seem to be making good progress.
However, in an impassioned speech broadcast on Al-Manar television to mark the anniversary of the kidnapping of Hizbullah official Sheikh ‘Ubeid, the leader of Hizbullah threatened more kidnapping of Israelis if there was no sufficient progress in negotiations on Hizbullah prisoners in Israel.
The Hizbullah threat, often made over the past few months, is unlikely to have swayed the Israelis. In the past Israel has swopped hundreds of prisoners for just a few corposes of its soldiers.