Shlomo and Karnit Goldwasser
Photo: Vadim Daniel
Eldad Regev
Reproduction photo: Hagai Aharon
Ehud Goldwasser
Why is Hizbullah hiding Udi and Eldad, captive's wife asks
Families of kidnapped soldiers Goldwasser and Regev listen attentively to senior Hizbullah official's remarks that two Israeli captives are being treated humanely, but say they will settle for nothing less than real sign of life from their sons
The families of kidnapped soldiers Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev
on Thursday listened attentively to the remarks of Hizbullah
politburo member Muhammad Kumati, who said that the two Israeli captives were being treated humanely.
At the moment, it is unclear whether the remarks made by the Hizbullah official are reliable. The families are seeking a real sign of life, which would confirm what he said.
"If that Kumati thinks they are okay, why is he hiding them? He should let Red Cross representatives meet with them. They should let them send a photo or write a letter to their families in Israel," Goldwasser's wife Karnit told Ynet.
Kidnapped Troops
In what appears to be first signal that kidnapped soldiers may still be alive, Hizbullah leader tells Arab-Israeli newspaper soldiers are being treated humanely, 'unlike Lebanese prisoners held in Israel'
"Since the kidnapping we have heard many statements by people considered reliable and close to Hizbullah in some way or another, but so far we have not received any sign of life from Udi (Ehud) and Eldad," Goldwasser said.
"We will not stop and will continue with all our might to operate on every level in Israel and worldwide, in order to bring Gilad Shalit back from the Gaza Strip and Udi and Eldad back from Lebanon, safe and sound.
"I can promise that we shall not rest, shall not give up and shall not lose hope," she vowed.
Goldwasser expressed her hope that this was not another manipulation by Hizbullah.
Addressing Kumati's claim that the Lebanese prisoners in Israel were treated more severely than Hizbullah's captives, she said, "The Lebanese prisoners jailed in Israel were imprisoned after a trial in which they were accused of hurting innocent people.
"Most of them are capable of talking to their families on the phone, and some of them are allowed to send photos or letters to Lebanon. Udi and Eldad were not given this right. The families of the Lebanese prisoners, as opposed to us, know about their condition," she added.
'Nasrallah should learn from Ahmadinejad'
Like her husband's father Shlomo, Goldwasser issued a call to Hizbullah leader Hassan Nasrallah.
"It is important for him to learn from the conduct of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. He, as the head of a Shiite country, understood after 13 days that he should bring an end to the affair of the 15 British captives and not go against the Western world.
"Nasrallah, who heads a Shiite organization, must know that one does not negotiate with Europe or the United States on the right to receive information or a sign of life from captives.
"The Iranian president did not let the British families become miserable, and acted sensibly. I hope Nasrallah comes out of his bunker and negotiates or, alternatively, encourages an organization official like Muhammad Kumati to bring out a sign of life from Udi and Eldad and work for their quick release."
A representative for the kidnapped soldiers' families told Ynet, "We hope that the sons' condition is good, and we demand that Hizbullah, the Lebanese government and any influential international element work immediately to obtain a sign of life from the sons and bring about their immediate release.
"The Hizbullah organization is a member of the Lebanese parliament and must honor the Geneva Convention, which requires a sign of life from prisoners of war. The failure to deliver a sign of life constitutes a war crime, and we hope they will not want to be accused of that."
