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Israel 'has 13 Hizbollah bodies'
From correspondents in JerusalemISRAEL is holding corpses of 13 Hizbollah fighters killed during clashes with Israeli soldiers on Lebanese soil and has killed "about 100" of its fighters since July 12, the army chief of staff said today. General Dan Halutz told journalists "about 100 Hizbollah terrorists of all ranks have been killed". "We will not release the names of those we know," Halutz added. "We will leave it up to them to publish names they have (so far) not divulged." "During fighting yesterday (Thursday) about 13 combatants were killed," the general said. "We are now deciding what to do with their bodies." The guerrillas were killed in clashes on Lebanese territory close to the border north of the Israeli town of Avivim. Four Israeli soldiers from an elite commando unit also died. Hizbollah has said two of its fighters were killed in the fighting. "We are in possession of corpses of Hizbollah fighters," an Israeli military spokesman said. "As you know, we do not exploit bodies as they (Hizbollah) are in the habit of doing," Halutz said. Asked whether Israel might ask for information about its two soldiers captured by Hizbollah on July 12 in exchange for the bodies, the general replied: "Let's leave that question for later." "We are not like those who use bodies like money in exchanges," he added. "If only for respect, we will not leave bodies on the battlefield that no one (else) can recover," Halutz said. In January 2004, Israel freed 400 Palestinians and 23 Lebanese following the release by Hizbollah of abducted Israeli businessman Elhanan Tanenbaum and the return of the remains of three of its soldiers captured in October 2000. Referring to the humanitarian corridor opened to allow those wanting to leave Lebanon to do so, Halutz said Israel had also agreed to a special corridor for aid. "Following requests and information concerning the many shortages, we have opened a corridor for the delivery of humanitarian aid to Lebanon," he said. "All countries wanting to send this type of aid can do so by coordinating with Israel," the general added. Since it began its offensive against Lebanon following the July 12 capture by Hizbollah of two soldiers and the deaths in attacks of eight others, Israel has imposed an air, sea and land blockade on the country. Posted by: anonymous5089 2006-07-22 |
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