Hezbollah: We have Israelis’ body parts

By · January 3, 2008

Hezbollah says it has the body parts of Israeli military casualties in Lebanon and would return them as part of a prisoner swap.

After months out of the public eye, Hezbollah chief Sheik Hassan Nasrallah gave a television interview late Wednesday in which he was asked about Israel’s efforts to retrieve two soldiers abducted by his militia in July 2006.

“We have the body parts belonging to Israeli soldiers which remained on Lebanese soil, as well as the captives Goldwasser and Regev, and I am prepared to discuss returning the body parts in the framework of the current talks,” Nasrallah told Lebanon’s NBN station.

Hezbollah wants to trade Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev for Arab terrorists jailed in Israel, and the sides have been negotiating over a possible deal via foreign mediators. Nasrallah’s revelation about the body parts appeared to be a bid to press Israel into wrapping up a deal.

“Recently we have seen a negative downturn and foot dragging in Israel’s stance,” he said. “Only in another two or three weeks will we know if Israel is serious.”