Deputy Prime Minister Shimon Peres said that to the best of his knowledge, the two kidnapped soldiers Eldad Regev and Ehud Goldwasser are alive, and the responsibility for their wellbeing is on the Lebanese government. “As far as I know the soldiers are alive and their health status is well. Several sources indicate they are healthy and sound,” said Peres in Washington.
Peres added that if Hizballah will not agree to disarm and retreat north of the Litani River, they will be dealt with by the UN Security Council. “Hizballah is not just an Israeli problem but an internal Lebanese problem. If the Lebanese Army will not descend south, Seniora will have lost the battle. For him it is do-or-die.”
Peres also revealed that Israel allowed Arab states to use Israeli airspace in order to send humanitarian aid to Lebanon.