Wednesday

20:09 Lebanese President Michel Suleiman addresses Samir Kantar and four freed Hezbollah fighters at the Beirut International Airport.

19:55 Three helicopters carrying Samir Kantar and the four Hezbollah fighters released by Israel arrive in the Beirut International Airport.

19:50 A convoy bearing the remains of around 180 Lebanese bodies arrives to the Naqoura border crossing.

19:00 Lebanese President Michel Suleiman arrives at the Beirut International Airport to greet the five Lebanese prisoners released by Israel today.

18:46 Speaker Nabih Berri and a number of national political and spiritual leaders arrive at the Beirut International Airport to greet returning prisoners Samir Kantar and the four Hezbollah fighters freed from Israeli prisons earlier today.

17:12 Samir Kantar, Khodor Zidan, Maher Kurani, Mohammed Sarur and Hussein Suleiman have crossed Naqoura into Lebanese territories.

16:50 Al-Manar television reports that Hezbollah has handed over the remains of the Israeli soldiers who were killed in the July War.

16:03 A Red Cross convoy heads to the Israeli-Lebanese border to hand over the freed Lebanese prisoners.

15:53 The bodies of eight Hezbollah fighters and four fighters with the Dalal Mughrabi group have crossed the border to Naqoura.

14:40 Radio Israel: The Israeli army confirms that the corpses it has received from Hezbollah are those of Ehud Goldwasser and Elded Regev.

14:34 Israeli Knesset Member Aryeh Eldad told Haaretz: Israel should bomb Lebanese celebrations of the prisoner release.

13:55 Al-Manar Television: Hezbollah has received 12 corpses so far

13:53 The remains of Arab fighters are being received in Naqoura.

13:38 The convoy carrying the remains of dead Arab fighters has arrived at the Naqoura passage.

12:51 A convoy carrying the remains of dead Arab fighters is crossing into Lebanon.

12:40 A second batch of bodies arrives at Naqoura from Israel.

12:33 MP Walid Jumblatt told Al-Jazeera: This is a national day , and it is part of a long struggle that started in Al-Arkoub with the Lebanese National Movement and is being continued by the Islamic Resistance. We must not forget that Palestine is a big jail, and we must continue the struggle to liberate it.
The cabinet meeting today was very useful, and the ministerial statement must satisfy everyone. Holding the first cabinet meeting on this national day reflects real national unity. All parties must overcome their internal differences, which is very important. We have to regain the Shebaa Farms, either by diplomatic or military means. After that, we go to the roundtable dialogue to try to contain Hezbollah's weapons within the Lebanese state.
Israel's policy is experiencing a major failure, as it has not achieved anything with its ongoing aggression against Palestine and Lebanon. It seems that Israel only understands force.

12:20 International Red Cross so far received the bodies of 12 militants, including the remains of Dalal Mughrabi, who launched an attack into Israel in 1978, killing 36 people.

11:50 Al-Arabiya Television: Hezbollah says it received the remains of Dalal al-Mughrabi.

11:30 International Red Cross handed over to Hezbollah the remains of 8 fighters killed during the 2006 war.

11:29 AFP: The International Red Cross says that Hezbollah has received the remains of eight of its militants in Naqoura.

11:29 The committee agreed to meet on Thursday to discuss the policy statement.

11:27 Mitri said Suleiman briefed the cabinet on the Mediterranean summit and his talks with Syrian President Assad and Mouallem's visit to Beirut "which is expected to take place soon." Mitri said a committee comprising ministers Skaff, Shateh, Taqla, Bassil, Fneish, Abu Faour, Salloukh, Lahoud and Mitri has been set up to draft the ministerial statement. The Cabinet's first priority is agreement on the policy statement.

11:10 the remains of the 2 Israeli soldiers are on their way to Israel for a repeat of the DNA tests and as soon as the test are completed the Lebanese prisoners will be handed over to Hezbollah at the borders

11:05 The cabinet session that was chaired by the president lasted for 30 minutes

11:00 The Lebanese prisoners are now in the custody of The International Red Cross on the Israeli side of the Naqoura borders

10:55 DNA tests matched the bodies of the two Israeli soldiers

10:40 Two Lebanese army helicopters as well as a presidential jet arrived at Beirut airport to transport the freed prisoners.

10:21 The cabinet meeting is being held after the traditional photo of the new government is taken.

10:19 NTV: The families of the Lebanese detainees will not participate in the welcoming ceremony at the border. They will participate in the official ceremony, which will be held at Beirut's Rafik Hariri International Airport.

10:18 President Michel Suleiman is presiding over the first cabinet meeting at the Baabda presidential palace.

10:05 Israel received the the remains of Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev from the International Red cross

10:00am The memorial picture of the new cabinet is now being taken.

10:00 the International Red cross cars are heading to the Israelis side of the border crossing to hand over the remains of the 2 Israeli soldiers

09:54 An Israeli army forensic unit has arrived at the exchange location to examine the corpses of Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev.

09:52 the remains of the Israeli soldiers and the Lebanese prisoners and remains are now in the possession of the International Red cross

9:50am The Cabinet ministers, dressed in white suits, arrived at Baabda Palace for the memorial picture.

09:50 The prisoners swap includes all martyrs of Dalal al Maghrabi group

09:45 Israel hands over all the prisoners to the International Red cross

09:43 The International Red cross is examining the remains of the 2 Israeli soldiers

09:40 The Israeli soldiers are declared dead and the International Red Cross is now receiving their remains

09:33 Israeli TV: The International Red Cross has officially received the 2 Israeli prisoners without commenting on their condition

09:30 The International Red Cross started the process of the prisoner swap operations between Israel and Hezbollah

09:20 Wafik Safa The head of coordination at Hezbollah refused to reveal any details about the condition of the detained Israeli soldiers

09:00 The motorcade of the 2 Israeli soldiers that were kidnapped by Hezbollah has arrived to the Nakoura border crossing. Whether they are dead or alive is still a mystery

08:40 Lebanese security sources: the remains of the Lebanese and the prisoners have arrived at the Israeli side of the Nakoura crossing point.

08:25 The Hezbollah motorcade carrying the Israeli prisoners has arrived at Nakoura

07:59 Sada'a al Balad newspaper : Carlos Edde received a call from Saad Hariri urging him to rescind his resignation from March 14 alliance , but Eddde remained firm about his position with the intention of reforming the alliance and not destroying it
07:36 Fares Soaid told Voice of Lebanon: The government statement will stress adherence to the Doha and Taef accords, implantation of UN resolution 1701 , compliance with the spirit of the inauguration speech of the president , respect to the national institutions and the dialogue

07:33 Nazek Hariri told Voice of Lebanon: We are very proud of president Michel Suleiman and his inauguration speech and we hope to achieve the peace and stability we aspire to thru our national institutions and the International Tribunal

07:25 Al Hayat : The remains that will be returned by Israel today , will include those of eight Communist fighters and especially those of Faraj Allah Foua'aty , Jamal Sati, Michel Saliba. They were killed along with their colleague Elias Harb during an operation against the southern Lebanese army during the Israeli occupation

07:00 Israel moves the prisoners from Hadareem prison

06:26 The Israeli army declared Raas el Nakoura closed to the media
06:02 AP: According to a secret document in the possession of German Chancellor Merkel, a German secret agent helped for 18 months in facilitating the prisoner swap deal

05:32 Israeli Government spokesman : This day of prisoner exchange will be a sad day for all the Israeli people

05:30 Channel 10 : The remains of Dalal al Mughrabi will not be included in the deal. No explanations were given

05:17 The cabinet will have a meeting at Baabda palace this morning . all members will be officially dressed in white . Speaker Berr will be present. The government will form a committee to issue the statement regarding its action plan that will be presented to the parliament for securing the vote of confidence

05:16 Berri and the opposition expressed their satisfaction with the Siniora directive about declaring Wednesday a national holiday

05:15 The Lebanese government decreed Wednesday a national holiday and announced that all public and private institutions, municipalities, schools and universities are to close on July 16, 2008, in observance of the liberation of Lebanese detainees from Israeli prisons and the return of Lebanese bodies to Lebanese territories.

Tuesday

19:31 The Lebanese government announces that all public and private institutions, municipalities, schools and universities are to close tomorrow, July 16, 2008, in observance of the liberation of Lebanese detainees from Israeli prisons and the return of Lebanese bodies to Lebanese territories.

19:10 Three corpses of three people that were shot with bullets were found in Jebel Falougha in the Metn region

12:43 Israeli Deputy Prime Minister Eli Yishai said that the Israeli government ratified the prisoner swap deal with Hezbollah that will be carried out tomorrow.

10:36 Michel Mouawad told LBC TV: Former MP Suleiman Franjieh is covering up Hezbollah's illegitimacy with his policies. MP Samir Franjieh is a leading March 14 figure and has played important roles. However, he was far from the Zghorta al-Zawiye district and did not play his role as a representative of Zghorta. This is why the electoral lists will be different in the upcoming legislative elections. Former MP Ghattas Khoury is a member of the Future Movement and cannot consider himself an independent Christian.
MP Michel Aoun, as a Hezbollah ally, wants Christians in Lebanon to be against US policy. This is not the natural role of Lebanese Christians throughout history.
Solving the issue of the Lebanese who are missing or detained in Syrian jails is a precondition to redressing relations with Syria. We are in favor of establishing diplomatic ties, but this is not enough. Borders must be drawn and controlled to prevent them exporting terrorism.

10:28 MP Mustafa Allouch told Future TV: The president's inaugural speech might be adopted in the government's plan of action, however, the regional players, and Hezbollah, will have no interest in such a plan of action if something happens with Iran.I think that the Future Movement wants the Resistance's weapons to be discussed directly as soon as possible. If the issue of weapons is discussed in the drafting of the government's plan of action on the basis of the presidential inaugural speech, there won't be a problem. But there must be a dialogue over Hezbollah's weapons as soon as possible.

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