Nasrallah: Shalit deal a pure achievement

'The determination of Hamas, which imposed its conditions from the beginning and until the end is a pure achievement that sanctifies the culture of resistance,' says Hezbollah chief

Elior Levy|Published: 10.25.11 , 00:05

Compliments abound – Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah on Monday called the prisoner exchange deal that saw the release of captive soldier Gilad Shalit in return for the release of 477 Palestinian prisoners a "pure achievement."

"The mere act of capturing Shalit and maintaining him alive for five years is a tremendous achievement," said Nasrallah, who managed to release terrorist Samir Kuntar and other Hezbollah operatives in return for the bodies of kidnapped soldiers Eldad Regev and Ehud Goldwasser three years ago.

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"The determination of the people of Gaza and Hamas, which imposed its conditions from the beginning and until the end is a pure achievement that sanctifies the culture of resistance," he added.

Nasrallah also commented on the ongoing unrest in Syria, saying the embattled Syrian regime is largely "out of the danger zone" despite a 7-month-old uprising against President Bashar Assad.

Nasrallah's comments appeared to be an attempt to portray confidence that the regime in Damascus will recover from a popular revolt that has become the most serious challenge to the Assad family's four-decade dynasty.

"Is Syria out of danger? We can say, to a very large extent, yes," Nasrallah told Hezbollah's Manar TV station.