3 women, 1 SLA soldier's body returned to Lebanon
South Lebanese Army-affiliated mother and her two daughters, as well as the body of a former SLA soldier, cross border at Rosh Hanikra
A mother and her two daughters, relatives of a South Lebanese Army soldiers, as well as the body of an SLA soldier, were returned to Lebanon Tuesday with the intervention of the Red Cross.
The women, who had asked permission to leave Israel and return to their home village in South Lebanon, crossed the border at Rosh Hanikra.
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The former soldier whose body was returned on Tuesday died of natural causes and was returned to Lebanon at his relatives' request that he be buried in the family tomb.
All four had been in Israel since the IDF withdrew from the security zone in 2000. According to the Red Cross, recent years have seen a trend of SLA soldiers' wives seeking to go back to Lebanon. In 2012, the organization's International Committee has assisted in returning seven Lebanese and four bodies to Lebanon from Israel, as well as coordinating the return of one Israeli citizen from Lebanon.
"Our ongoing work includes renewing ties between prisoners or people who were separated from their families because of armed conflicts, and preserving these contacts," said Jurg Montani, head of the Red Cross delegation in Lebanon.
"The organization operates as a neutral go-between and coordinates families' requests with authorities in Israel and Lebanon," he said.
