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Last update - 13:17 09/07/2008 Key ministers discuss Syrian front, regenerated Hezbollah By Barak Ravid and Yuval Azoulay, Haaretz Correspondents Tags: Hezbollah, Israel, Syria  The diplomatic-security cabinet met on Wednesday to discuss the situation on the northern border, with an emphasis on Hezbollah's regained strength in south Lebanon. Defense officials were to brief the ministers on Hezbollah's military activities and the situation on the Syrian front, while the Foreign Ministry was to provide a briefing on efforts to improve the performance of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), in the south of the country. During recent months, Israel has been talking with the UN about clarifying UNIFIL's rules of engagement, since it believes UNIFIL views its mandate too narrowly. Jerusalem would like to see the UN soldiers conducting proactive searches for arms in south Lebanon, including inside houses, and using force whenever necessary to carry out their mission, rather than only if soldiers' lives are in danger. Advertisement Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini, who is currently visiting Israel, discussed the Lebanese issue with President Shimon Peres and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni on Tuesday. The latter took Frattini to the North so he could see the situation along the border, including in the disputed Shaba Farms region, for himself. UNIFIL is currently commanded by an Italian, Major General Claudio Graziano. Major General Amir Eshel, head of the Israel Defense Forces' Plans and Policy Directorate, accompanied Livni and Frattini. He said that in general, cooperation between the IDF and UNIFIL was good. Nevertheless, he said, arms smugging to Hezbollah from Syria continues, and Hezbollah is working in various ways to deceive UNIFIL in south Lebanon. Livni told Frattini that stopping the arms smuggling is critical, as is disarming Hezbollah. This must be done now, she argued, because later, it will be much harder. Frattini responded that Italy would be willing to mediate Israeli-Lebanese peace talks. Meanwhile, IDF Chief Rabbi Avichai Ronsky has decided to freeze the process of declaring two soldiers kidnapped by Hezbollah dead. The Lebanese guerilla group abducted Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev in July 2006, and no sign of life has been provided since. Army sources said that Ronsky froze the process, which he launched two weeks ago, because the recently approved prisoner exchange with Hezbollah is expected to take place soon, and that makes it unnecessary to try to determine in absentia whether the two are alive or dead. The defense establishment's assumption, however, is that the two are no longer alive. Declaring a soldier dead in absentia involves meeting with senior intelligence officials to obtain all available intelligence on the soldier's situation, and then evaluating it to decide whether it meets the criteria set down by Jewish law for determining that someone whose body has not been found is nevertheless dead. Israel is currently completing its preparations for the prisoner swap by unearthing some 190 bodies of slain Lebanese and Arab infiltrators that will be given to Hezbollah as part of the deal. The work, which began on Monday, is being carried out by reservists in the IDF's chaplaincy. After the bodies are unearthed, they will be put into cold storage containers, which will be brought to Rosh Hanikra, on the Lebanese border, when the exchange takes place. Israel is also expecting to receive Regev and Goldwasser's remains at Rosh Hanikra. Related articles: Barak: Israel won't tolerate Hezbollah truce violations Israel set to exhume bodies of Hezbollah fighters ahead of swap Hezbollah expected to report Arad died in Lebanon over a decade ago Despite Hezbollah report, the Ron Arad story is not over Bookmark to del.icio.us   By the numbers A study shows Jewish Israeli men live almost four years longer than Israeli Arabs. Local threat The Shin Bet arrests two Bedouin, accused of supplying information to al-Qaida.   1.   trusting the UN 02:09  |  real vision 09/07/08   2.   Put Kuntar in a cold storage container as well 02:58  |  Pervert 09/07/08   3.   Nobody cares about stopping Hezbollah 03:22  |  Pablo B 09/07/08   4.   UNIFIL to do israels dirty work 03:23  |  VIPER 09/07/08   5.   lo siento 03:58  |  Di 09/07/08   6.   lo siento 04:42  |  Di 09/07/08   7.   Viper, cant imagine why israel would participate 04:44  |  jj 09/07/08   8.   Viper, no proble, we will do the job just don`t cry baby later 08:07  |  No kidnapping 09/07/08   9.   Hezbo will bring a disaster on Lebanon 08:09  |  Dan 09/07/08   10.   What the UNIFIL should do. 08:47  |  maoriboy 09/07/08   11.   Investigation commitee should look into this 08:47  |  Zev 09/07/08   12.   UN= USELESS NOBODIES! 09:01  |  OLMERT=CRIMINAL 09/07/08   13.   Well, that`s gonna find a receptive ear..... 09:21  |  Johnboy 09/07/08   14.   Livni speaks nonsense. 09:30  |  Johnboy 09/07/08   15.   Water, water, water. 09:32  |  Maureen Ann 09/07/08   16.   #7 jj, Best you go read Resolution 1701 again 09:54  |  Johnboy 09/07/08   17.   hei viper 10:01  |  kelly 09/07/08   18.   Anyone in Israels shoes would ask the same 10:25  |  Natallie Durson 09/07/08   19.   Ah, the usual Aussie, New Zealand, anti-Israel response. The UN 12:03  |  Jack be quick 09/07/08   20.   Take back South Lebanon 12:38  |  SNURDLY 09/07/08   21.   When the exchange will finally take place... 12:51  |  sandra chitayat 09/07/08   22.   UNIFIL to point at IAF 12:59  |  imad 09/07/08   23.   #7, JJ and his biased one eyed logic 13:35  |  VIPER 09/07/08   24.   #8, NO KIDNAPPING, you make me laugh 13:39  |  VIPER 09/07/08   25.   #17, KELLY, it ain`t rocket science 13:44  |  VIPER 09/07/08   26.   Whisky, whhisky, whisky 13:52  |  Austin Powers 09/07/08   27.   #19 Lotta rhetoric there, jack be quick 15:22  |  Johnboy 09/07/08   28.   #20 SNURDLY needs to look in an almanac 15:34  |  Johnboy 09/07/08

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