By Xinhua,
Jerusalem : Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak on Monday criticized that the United Nations resolution 1701 that ended the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah war failed to stop the Hezbollah guerrilla group from arming itself with Syrian assistance.
“Security Resolution 1701 did not work, doesn’t work, and is a failure,” Barak was quoted by Israel Army Radio as saying during a Labor faction meeting.
UN Security Council resolution 1701 ended the 34-day conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in 2006, which broke out after the latter abducted two Israeli reservists in a cross-border raid.
Israel has complained that despite the resolution’s call for a strict ban on arms shipments to Hezbollah, the group has rearmed and now has a larger rocket arsenal than it did during the war.
As to an upcoming prisoners swap deal with Hezbollah, Barak vowed that Israel’ s battles will be far from over even when the prisoner swap deal is finalized, as it will have to fight for the returning of soldier Gilad Shalit, who was abducted by Gaza militants in 2006, as well.
“The negotiations will not be easy or short,” he said. “I will work to retrieve Gilad alive and healthy.”
The prisoner swap with Hezbollah will take place at the Rosh Hanikra Lebanon-Israel border crossing on Wednesday.
In the framework of the deal, Israel will also return the remains of some 200 people killed while infiltrating northern Israel, in exchange for the two kidnapped Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev, who are believed dead.