Jiddah, Saudi Arabia – U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan has agreed to mediate in efforts for the release of two abducted Israeli soldiers after requests from both Hezbollah and Israel, Annan’s spokesman said today.
It would be the first time that Israel has publicly agreed to indirect contacts with the Lebanese guerrilla group over winning the release of the two soldiers, snatched in a cross-border raid on July 12. Their capture sparked a massive Israeli offensive against Hezbollah that lasted 34 days until a U.N.-arranged cease-fire.
Hezbollah has said it would only free the two Israelis as part of a swap for Arab prisoners held by Israel. The Islamic militant group also has said it is ready for mediation to arrange an exchange. Israel has insisted it wants an unconditional release of the soldiers.
The U.N. spokesman, Ahmad Fawzi, would not comment on whether Annan’s mediation would focus on proposals for a swap.
“The secretary-general has accepted to play a role as mediator in the matter of the abducted soldiers,” Fawzi told The Associated Press. “They have both requested mediation,” he said, referring to Hezbollah and Israel.
Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Mark Regev and Hezbollah’s chief spokesman Hussein Rahal refused to comment on the report.
Word of the mediation mission came as Annan met with Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah in the Red Sea port of Jiddah, the latest stop in an 11-day tour of the Middle East aimed at getting all sides to implement and support the U.N. cease-fire resolution.
