Lebanon is demanding that Israel hand over the bodies of Hizbullah terrorists, while an Israeli-Arab was indicted Thursday for assisting the terror group.

Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Saniora told reporters in Qatar Wednesday, “ What is required [from Israel] is a handover of the bodies of the resistance fighters who fell as martyrs during the latest confrontations in order to defuse the tension on Lebanon’s international border.”

The bodies referred to are those of the Hizbullah terrorists whose attempt to kidnap IDF soldiers during Monday’s rocket-barrages were thwarted by an alert _IDF hesder soldier_ (http://www.israelnationalnews.com/news.php3?id=93547) (see below for Israel National TV segment on the heroic soldier).

Click “play” to view video - _click here_ (mms://msmedia.a7.org/arutz7/eng-video/05/nov/231105-100.wmv) if video does not appear

Lebanese government minister Muhammad Jawad Khalif, known to have strong ties with the Hizbullah terror group, repeated the demand on Lebanon’s state-run radio, threatening kidnappings if it is not met. “[Hizbullah] will try to secure the return of the bodies one way or another,” he said, “which usually ends in negotiations to exchange them for the bodies of Israeli soldiers or prisoners.”

Israel Radio reported Thursday that Israel had already agreed to give the bodies back and is negotiating with Lebanon through the Red Cross – a claim denied by the IDF spokesman.

Meanwhile, an Israeli-Arab from Nazareth was indicted Thursday for having extensive contacts with Hizbullah and planning to provide the terror group with intelligence information to carry out high-profile attacks on the Jewish state.

The man, 38, is accused to being in contact with a Hizbullah recruiter from Uganda whom he met while visiting his in-laws in South Africa in August. The recruiter, Abu Muhammad, asked the man to collect and transfer information on IDF bases, security facilities and arms factories in Israel and told him he would be paid for his efforts.

In September, the Israeli-Arab traveled to Bulgaria, where he spoke with Abu Muhammad via a cell phone he was provided. The recruiter suggested that he buy a specific restaurant near a security facility in Haifa together with an Israeli Jew – which could be used to befriend and gain the confidence of security personnel. He also promised that Hizbullah would give him $1,000,000 for the deal.

The suspect was given $1,000 and the names of two Israel police intelligence officers whom he was advised to befriend and supply with information. The objective was to acquire the names of drug dealers and undercover Shabak (General Security Service) agents, which would then be passed on to Hizbullah.

In two separate incidents in the south, IDF and border police intercepted weapons and drug smuggling efforts at the Egyptian border, arresting a number of suspects.

Fifteen Kalashnikov AK-47 assault rifles and an equal number of magazines were intercepted in one operation, and hundreds of pounds of marijuana were confiscated in the other.

This entry was posted on Friday, November 25th, 2005 and is filed under news. You can leave a response.