Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Siniora said on Tuesday that a prisoner swap between Israel and Hizbullah was a "huge failure" for the Jewish state and a victory for the Shiite group. "The release of the prisoners thanks to the German mediator... is a huge failure for the policies of Israel," a statement from Siniora's office said.
"The success of Hezbollah in the negotiations led by a third party is a national success for the party and for the struggle of the Lebanese because it secured national goals which Israel always refused to respect."
The Israeli government on Sunday approved a deal to hand over to Hizbullah five Lebanese fighters in return for the bodies of two Israeli soldiers whose capture sparked the summer 2006 war in Lebanon. An undetermined number of Palestinians held in Israel prisons will also be released as part of the deal mediated by Germany, AFP reported.
© 2008 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
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