BEIRUT: Speaker Nabih Berri Friday assured a delegation of the families of captive servicemen that the principle of a swap deal to win their release was approved by authorities, noting that he had received positive information regarding efforts to end their plight.
“Be assured that all Lebanese, regardless of their religion, sect, faction or region, consider the cause of the captive servicemen as their own,” Berri told families who visited him at his Ain al-Tineh residence.
The speaker said that the government had approved the principle of a swap deal, adding that he was coordinating on resolving the issue with Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblatt.
Berri said he had received information that “matters were improving” toward ending the soldiers’ four-month-long ordeal.
The speaker reiterated his stance calling for complete discretion on the progress of negotiations leading to the aspired outcome.
ISIS and Nusra Front militants have been holding 25 troops and policemen captive on the outskirts of Arsal since overrunning the northeast border town in early August. They seek to trade them with Islamist detainees held in Lebanese and Syrian prisons.
Meanwhile, Jumblatt said on Twitter he would not drop mediation efforts under any circumstances.
His comments came after ISIS said in a recent video that the PSP leader, former Prime Minister Saad Hariri and Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea were responsible for the lives of the captives.
A French-speaking ISIS fighter in a video originally handed to Tripoli Sheikh Wissam Masri before being uploaded online said, “To France’s allies: Hariri, Geagea and Jumblatt. Listen to me carefully. You certainly are criminals, and today you added a new crime to your crimes through your cooperation with [Hezbollah] and by turning the Lebanese Army into a puppet in [Hezbollah’s] hands, targeting the Sunni people through them.”
“ISIS is in a state of war with Hezbollah, which meddles in [Syrian] Muslim affairs and which has killed our women and children,” warned the militant, who was flanked by captors holding knives to the necks of three of the Lebanese captives on their knees and wearing blue jumpsuits.
“Therefore you are solely responsible for the future of your fellow citizens [captives], their fate – the decision between life or death – is in your hands,” ISIS threatened.
Jumblatt expressed puzzlement regarding the ISIS remarks, saying, “We have nothing to do with what others do or say.”
He added that Health Minister Wael Abu Faour would proceed independently with efforts to implement a swap deal, and voiced hope that ISIS would appreciate his stance.
Masri, who claims he has been appointed as a mediator by militants holding the Lebanese servicemen, said Thursday that he checked on the captives held on the outskirts of the northeastern border village of Arsal.
News emerged that Masri was appointed by Nusra shortly after both the government and Islamist militants turned down an offer by the Muslim Scholars Committee to mediate the release of the captives.
Hussein Youssef, the spokesperson of the families of the captives, told the Central News Agency that the families were trying to meet Prime Minister Tammam Salam in the coming hours to convince him to formally commission Masri with negotiating the release of their loved ones.
Youssef said Masri informed the families Thursday evening that he had a “good and not complicated” initiative to resolve the case, but that he would not reveal its details and would only launch it once he was tasked by the government to do so.
“Once he’s commissioned, the captors will release three or four servicemen as a goodwill gesture,” Youssef added.
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