Hizbullah: Israel's approval of prisoner swap official admission of defeat

(Video) Shiite group's commander in south Lebanon says upcoming prisoner exchange 'humiliating failure in confronting the resistance militarily and politically'
Associated Press

VIDEO - A senior Hizbullah official said the government's approval Tuesday of a prisoner swap with his organization is an official admission of Israel’s defeat.

Hizbullah's commander in south Lebanon, Sheik Nabil Kaouk, says an upcoming prisoner exchange shows Israel's “humiliating failure in confronting the resistance militarily and politically.”

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The cabinet approved the deal Tuesday, a day ahead of the expected return of five Lebanese prisoners, including terrorist Samir Kuntar, in exchange for the two IDF captive soldiers Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev, who were captured by Hizbullah in July 2006.

Kaouk said he considers the approval an "official admission of defeat."

Video courtesy of infolive.tv

With preparations for the imminent swap nearly complete, the government gave its overwhelming support for the agreement on Tuesday despite having declared one of the key stipulations for the implementation for the deal, a report by Hizbullah providing intelligence on the fate of MIA navigator Ron Arad, as lacking and insufficient.

Only three ministers voted against the agreement, which will see the repatriation of captive Israeli soldiers Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev in return for the release of terrorist Samir Kuntar and four additional Hizbullah fighters arrested during the Second Lebanon War. Israel will also return the bodies of 190 Hizbullah combatants.