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The United Nations Security Council on Friday called on Hezbollah to immediately and unconditionally release abducted Israel Defense Forces soldiers Eldad Regev and Ehud Goldwasser.In a Presidential Statement, the Security Council expressed concern over the fact that the soldiers are still being held by Hezbollah, and that the organization has yet to provide any sign of life from the two.Regev and Goldwasser were abducted along the northern border on July 12 of last year, sparking the Second Lebanon War.The statement was formulated by the United States and France, and published as the Security Council's response to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's report on the implementation of the UNSCR 1701,which served as a basis for a cease-fire in the war.It goes on to express support for Ban, and his ongoing efforts to ensure the resolution be fully implemented.The 15-member council unanimouslyapproved the statement,which also expressed concern over the ongoing arms smuggling across the Syria-Lebanon border and the continued procurement of weapons by non-governmental militias.It also criticized continued Israel Air Force overflights in southern Lebanese airspace.Talks on the statement lasted nearly one month,due to Qatari reservations. Qatar's UN delegation tried to add changes to the statement up until the lastminute.Nonetheless,senior Israeli officials at the UN expressed satisfaction over the fact that the council issued the statement, saying it would help pave the way for an extended presence of UN peacekeepers in southern Lebanon."This statement is an important step toward a Security Council decision to extend UNIFIL's mandate in southern Lebanon, which is expected at the end of the month,"a senior Israeli diplomat told Haaretz on Friday.The Israeli delegation however expressed concern that the current situation in southern Lebanon,where Hezbollah is regaining its military strength, was not sufficiently addressed in the statement.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/889633.html
As in the days of Noah...
