Israel, Hezbollah carryout swap despite Jerusalem blast

By: Anjum Kermani

COLOGNE, Germany: The German-brokered swap of prisoners between Israel and Hezbollah was completed on Thursday with Israel released more than 420 prisoners in exchange for an Israeli businessman and the bodies of three Israeli soldiers.

Despite a suicide attack near the Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon's residence in Held Jerusalem on Thursday killed 10 bystanders and wounded over 4-dozen, the two-stage swap went ahead, starting with the release of 400 Palestinians at Israeli checkpoints in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

In the second stage, conducted in Germany, another 28 Arab prisoners departed aboard a German air force plane headed for Lebanon. Minutes later, an Israeli jet took off bringing home businessman Elhanan Tannenbaum and the soldiers' remains to Tel Aviv.

Thousands of people carrying Lebanese, Palestinian and Hezbollah flags were waiting in the Lebanese capital, Beirut, on airport highway for the return of the prisoners including Shiite cleric Abdel Karim Obeid.

Israel also turned over the remains of 60 Lebanese as part of the deal. An Israeli military truck took the bodies to Israel's northern border with Lebanon.

Meanwhile, the Israeli cabinet has decided to challenge the International Court of Justice's right to rule on the legality of its West Bank barrier at next month's hearing in The Hague, a senior official said Thursday.

END