Lebanese fighters exchanged for remains of Israeli soldier
Lebanon-Israel, Politics, 6/26/1998

At 11 p.m. on Thursday, a French private plane carrying the bodies of 40 Lebanese resistance fighters landed at Beirut airport in the context of exchanging the remains of an Israeli soldier killed in the failed Israeli al-Ansariyeh military operation in September 1997.

The bodies, which were wrapped in Lebanese flags, were officially received by Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri, several Lebanese Cabinet ministers and parliamentarians, representatives of the Lebanese army and resistance forces, families of the deceased and many citizens.

The Hezbullah party's al-Nour radio said an agreement on final arrangements for exchanging Lebanese martyrs and prisoners for the remains of Israeli soldier Itamar Ilya was made in a meeting held Thursday morning between Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and a delegation representing the Hezbullah party, in the presence of a delegation from the Lebanese army's leadership.

The radio report added that the prisoners will cross into Lebanon on Friday through Kafr Fallous crossing in south Lebanon.

Lebanese army units deployed on Kafr Fallous crossing in Jezzin district in south Lebanon have carried out all arrangements to receive 60 Lebanese prisoners held in al-Khayam camp and occupied land jails.

The Israeli-allied South Lebanon Army, meanwhile, had taken tough security measures at the eastern part of the crossing gate in Kafr Fallous.

The release of the prisoners will be made today as a coach from the Red Cross International committee will take 50 prisoners from al-Khayam camp, while another coach will transport 10 prisoners from inside the occupied lands via Kafr Huata crossing after being taken by Israeli buses to the Lebanese occupied Palestinian borders.

A French military plane left Beirut airport heading for Tel Aviv carrying the remains of an Israeli soldier who was killed together with another 11 of his colleagues in an failed military operation in al-Ansariyeh in South Lebanon during September 1997. The remains were gathered in two plastic boxes and taken by a car for the International Red cross committee to the French plane.

The transportation of the remains was supervised by soldiers in the Lebanese army, the chairman of the International Red Cross mission in Lebanon and the French ambassador to Lebanon. The French plane will arrive back at Beirut airport carrying the remains of 40 Lebanese resistance men.

Replying to a question at Beirut International airport upon receiving the bodies of Lebanese resistance fighters, Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri said that Syrian President Hafez al-Assad and French President Jacques Chirac have exerted efforts to aid the exchange process through which bodies of the Lebanese martyrs came back home.

Previous Stories:
  Final stages of exchange for prisoners and killed between Hizbullah and Israel   (6/25/1998)
  Hizbullah - Israeli progress in swap deal   (12/16/1997)
  Hizbullah in no hurry to swap Israeli remains for detainees   (10/22/1997)

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