ISRAEL: Families of kidnapped soldiers and Israeli citizens angry over government decision to remove Lebanon blockade

Record ID: 395457

  • Title: ISRAEL: Families of kidnapped soldiers and Israeli citizens angry over government decision to remove Lebanon blockade
  • Date: 7th September 2006
  • Summary: (W2) RAMAT GAN, ISRAEL (SEPTEMBER 7, 2006) (REUTERS) STREET SCENE NEWSPAPER SALESPERSON HANDING OVER NEWSPAPERS BENNY REGEV, BROTHER OF KIDNAPPED SOLDIER ABDUCTED BY HIZBOLLAH, WALKING (SOUNDBITE) (English) BENNY REGEV, BROTHER OF SOLDIER ABDUCTED BY HIZBOLLAH SAYING: "We are afraid that lifting the blockade over Lebanon will lead to Hizbollah transferring Eldad and Udi to
  • Embargoed: 22nd September 2006 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Israel
  • Country: Israel
  • Topics: International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVA1SFEQRL189CBQC8OZ02WKE0HU
  • Story Text: A few hours ahead of the removal of Lebanon blockade on Thursday (September 7), families of abducted Israeli soldiers said they were furious at the government's decision which they say could lead to the transfer of their beloved ones to Iran.
    Benny Regev, brother of Eldad Regev who was kidnapped in a cross-border raid which sparked a month-long war between Israel and Hizbollah guerillas, told Reuters the families fear that Israel is losing a strong trading card that could assist in releasing the abducted soldiers.
    "We are afraid that lifting the blockade over Lebanon will lead to Hizbollah transferring Eldad and Udi to other countries hostile to Israel and that will make their release much harder. We expect the government to do whatever it can to bring about their release and we are losing a significant tool that could have pressured the Lebanese government to bring about the release of the kidnapped soldiers," said Regev.
    Regev said that Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert violated his pledge to remove the blockade only when the EU- brokered cease-fire agreement , which calls for the unconditional release of the abductees, was fully implemented.
    "I appeal to all nations of the world, specifically the 15 countries that are signed on the U.N. Resolution that calls for the immediate and unconditional release of the abductees, to act on achieving the goals of this resolution," he said.
    A statement issued by Israeli Prime Minister's Office said on Wednesday (September 6) that Israel would lift its eight-week-old air and sea blockade of Lebanon at 1500 GMT on Thursday, handing over control to international forces.
    The statement said U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan told Olmert that "the international forces are ready to take over control posts over the seaports and airports of Lebanon."
    "Thus it was agreed that tomorrow at 6 p.m. (1500 GMT), Israel will leave the control positions over the ports in conjunction with the entry of the international forces," the statement said.
    Israel imposed the embargo, bombing Beirut airport and denying ships access to Lebanese ports, one day after Hizbollah guerrillas captured two of its soldiers on July 12 and sparked a war that was halted by a U.N. truce nearly five weeks later.
    Israel said earlier it could gradually lift the embargo as Lebanese and U.N. forces control entry points to stop Hizbollah rearming, but did not say when restrictions would be eased.
    Meanwhile Israeli citizens joined the families protest and expressed anger over the government decision.
    "I think its a wrong thing to do. I think Israel started this war with great hopes and expectations and we are folding back," said one resident of Ramat Gan.
    "It is really painful. It is difficult to understand how tomorrow, the day after, my child would grow up and I will send him to the army thinking that if something God forbid will happen to him he would be left abandoned there. I am feeling it is going to be the same story as it was with Ron Arad, that have lasted for years and years, and here we are talking about three (abducted soldiers) and not one," added another.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register