Terje-Roed Larsen, senior U.N. envoy on Syria-Lebanon issues and Vijay Nambiar, a senior advisor to U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan quoted a third-party source who said that Eldad Regev and Ehud Goldwasser are receiving humane treatment. They were less sure of their condition, however.
That caution was similarly expressed by the head of the Italian Senate Defense Committee, Sergio de Gregorio. The Italian official told the Reuters news service that Iran had called upon him to negotiate with Hizbullah for their release.
"It appears that they are in good condition, but not great," said de Gregorio. "They are alive." He did not give further details, other than to say that Larijani told him that "he will ask Hizbullah to negotiate only with the Italians."
Regev and Goldwasser's capture on July 12th sparked a full-scale war between Israel and Hizbullah terrorists in southern Lebanon that lasted 34 days and resulted in the deaths of more than 100 soldiers.
No mention was made of Cpl Gilad Shalit, the IDF soldier who was kidnapped on June 25th during a Hamas terror attack on an army base near the Kerem Shalom border crossing with Gaza and Egypt. Shalit's whereabouts remain unknown, although Egyptian negotiators who are working on an agreement for his release say that he is in good condition and is receiving good care. |