LEBANON: RALLY HELD IN BEIRUT FOR LEBANESE GUERILLA EXCLUDED BY ISRAEL FROM PRISON SWAP DEAL WITH HIZBOLLAH

Record ID: 215429

  • Title: LEBANON: RALLY HELD IN BEIRUT FOR LEBANESE GUERILLA EXCLUDED BY ISRAEL FROM PRISON SWAP DEAL WITH HIZBOLLAH
  • Date: 10th November 2003
  • Summary: (U6) BEIRUT, LEBANON (NOVEMBER 10, 2003) (REUTERS) 1. SLV DEMONSTRATORS STANDING WITH BANNER 0.04 2. SV SAMIR AL-QANTAR'S MOTHER STANDING WITH THE DEMONSTRATORS 0.08 3. PAN OF ATTENDEES 0.13 4. CU BANNER HELD BY DEMONSTRATOR WITH NAMES OF DETAINEES 0.16 5. SV TWO DEMONSTRATORS HOLDING BANNERS 0.19 6. SV FORMER HIZBUL
  • Embargoed: 25th November 2003 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: BEIRUT, LEBANON
  • Country: Lebanon
  • Reuters ID: LVAAJXLE63LVY19D81V5ALASXB0E
  • Story Text: Rally held in Beirut for Lebanese guerilla
    excluded by Israel from prisoner swap deal with Hizbollah.



    Supporters of Samir al-Qantar, a Lebanese guerrilla
    held in an Israeli prison for involvement in the killing of
    three Israelis, held a vigil for him in Beirut on Monday
    (November 10).

    Earlier on Monday, Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan
    Shalom said Israel had ruled out releasing Samir al-Qantar.

    The Israeli stance could torpedo a prisoner swap with
    Hizbollah narrowly approved by the Israeli government on
    Sunday after almost three years of negotiation with a
    German mediator.

    Hundreds gathered to light candles for Samir al-Qantar
    and to protest the exclusion of the longest held Lebanese
    prisoner in Israeli jails from the latest swap agreement.

    Qantar was part of a four-member guerrilla squad that
    burst into an appartment in Israel's northern city of
    Nahariya in 1979 and killed a four-year-old girl, her
    father and a policeman.

    Samir al-Qantar's mother, brother and sister attended
    the demonstration, as did former Hizbollah Press Officer
    Sheikh Attallah.

    "Samir al-Qantar is like Sheikh Abdel Karim Obeid, just
    as Anwar Yassine is like Mustapha Abu Ali El Dirani. We
    support all the detainees, whether Lebanese, Palestinian
    and in fact all Arabs," he said.

    Bassam al-Qantar, brother of Samir, called for the
    release of all Arab prisoners held by Israel.

    "(Hizbollah leader Sheikh) Hassan Nasrallah was very
    clear when he asked the Lebanese community, the Palestinian
    people and the entire Arab nation to stand together and
    support these heroes. We thank this man who possesses the
    wisdom and ability to free all the detainees and prisoners
    from this ruthless enemy, with Samir Samir al-Qantar on the
    top of the list; and in the hope of furthering this
    campaign of support, we are asking all organisations,
    institutions, municipalities and officials to declare their
    support for these heroes in Israeli jails and to create a
    successful campaign of support for these detainees to raise
    our voices and say that there cannot be any swap without
    the release of all the Lebanese detainees and all the Arabs
    from Israeli jails in the hope that this campaign will grow
    and continue," he said.

    Under the deal, Israel would free 400 Palestinians and
    several dozen prisoners from Lebanon, Syria, Morocco, Sudan
    and Libya. Hizbollah would hand over Israel businessman
    Elhanan Tannenbaum and the bodies of three Israeli soldiers.


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