Israel on Wednesday returned five Lebanese prisoners to Hezbollah after receiving the bodies of two kidnapped Israeli soldiers from the Lebanese group in a prisoners swap between the two sides.
An Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Military Rabbinate speaks to media after identifying the remains of the two Israeli soldiers at the entrance of Rosh Hanikra Lebanon-Israel border crossing, July 16, 2008. Hezbollah returned on Wednesday the two abducted Israeli reservists Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev in exchange for five imprisoned Lebanese militants and the remains of some 200 Arabs. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu)
Four imprisoned Hezbollah militants and a convicted Lebanese killer named Samir Kuntar were handed over to representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) at the Rosh Hanikra border crossing, who then transferred them to the Lebanese side.
Kuntar and the other four were pardoned by Israeli court and President Shimon Peres Tuesday in order to carry out the exchange, as the Israeli cabinet gave the final go-head to the prisoners swap deal with Hezbollah.
Prior to their return, Hezbollah delivered two bodies contained in black coffins. Following several hours of DNA tests, an Israeli forensic team concluded that the bodies were the remains of Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev, who were captured by the Lebanese group two years ago.
The exchange is the major part of the swap deal mediated by a UN-appointed German official, under which Israel will also return the bodies of 199 others who were killed while infiltrating northern Israel.
Israeli soldiers and police guard at the entrance of Rosh Hanikra Lebanon-Israel border crossing, July 16, 2008. Hezbollah returned on Wednesday the two abducted Israeli reservists Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev in exchange for five imprisoned Lebanese militants and the remains of some 200 Arabs. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu)
