SECRETARY-GENERAL WELCOMES HUMANITARIAN EXCHANGE BETWEEN ISRAEL, HIZBULLAH

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon:

The Secretary-General welcomes the exchange of humanitarian gestures by Israel and Hizbullah mediated by his facilitator.  He sincerely hopes that this move will create the necessary dynamics on both sides to comply with the central humanitarian demands of Security Council resolution 1701.

The Secretary-General calls again on all sides concerned to move ahead decisively in releasing the two abducted Israeli soldiers without any further delay and to find the necessary solutions for the remaining Lebanese citizens that are still in Israeli detention.  No effort should be spared to comply urgently with the basic humanitarian demands of compassion with the victims.

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For information media • not an official record