Six months after the United Nations issued it resolution number 1701 calling for the release of the captured Israeli soldiers by Hezbollah and Palestinian fighters, Israel officially adopted the resolution after realizing that there is no other way to release the captives.
Israeli Foreign Minister, Tzipi Livni, told the families of the captured soldiers, who attended the session that Israel vows that it will release them, and that it made several “difficult decisions” since then.
Livni added that the files of the abducted soldiers are continuously on its political agenda during any talks with governments, officials, and ministries. She added that resolution number 1701 must be fully implemented.
The families of captured soldiers did not only attend the Knesset session to listen to Israeli vows, but also to urge lawmakers to vote against a bill calling for tightening conditions for the release of Fateh leader, Marwan Barghouthi, under any prisoner swap deal.
Parents of soldiers Eldad Regev and Ehud Goldwasser said that the lawmakers must oppose the bill that wants to tighten conditions of the release of Palestinian security prisoner, imprisoned by Israel for life.
The two soldiers were abducted by Hezbollah gunmen in a cross-border attack last summer. Israeli corporal Gilad Shalit was abducted by Palestinian fighters in June 25 last year.
The Bill is known as “Barghouthi Bill”, referring to the jailed Fateh leader and former lawmaker Marwan Barghouthi.
The bill was proposed by Likud member of Knesset, Limor Livnat; it calls for any prisoner exchange to be predicated on the approval of at least 80 Knesset members.
Meanwhile, Livni called on the UN Secretary-general to protest the “violation of decision 1701 since it violates that international norms and human rights”. But she did not comment on the Israeli obligation to release the Palestinian political detainees from its prisons.
She added that the secretary-general must take further steps to ensure the safe release of the captured soldiers.
