A report in Yediot Achronot Thursday said that Israel recovered the personal weapon of missing IDF soldier Ron Arad in 2000 – in exchange for the release of 52 Arab and Lebanese terrorists and security prisoners. Arad went missing in 1986 when his plane went down over Lebanon, and he was captured by the Lebanese Shi'ite militia Amal and later turned over to Hizbullah.
According to the report, Arad's family was invited to an emergency meeting with the head of the Mossad at the time, Efraim Halevy, and were told that the weapon was recovered. Israel sought to make the deal in the wake of the kidnapping of Elchanan Tannenbaum at the time. Hizbullah chief terrorist Hassan Nasrallah set the conditions for the return of the weapon and other personal effects of Arad, and Israel agreed.
According to the report, Arad's family was invited to an emergency meeting with the head of the Mossad at the time, Efraim Halevy, and were told that the weapon was recovered. Israel sought to make the deal in the wake of the kidnapping of Elchanan Tannenbaum at the time. Hizbullah chief terrorist Hassan Nasrallah set the conditions for the return of the weapon and other personal effects of Arad, and Israel agreed.