Families of Lebanese hostages in “Israel” hope they will be released soon

“The families of some 19 Lebanese held hostage by “Israel” are hoping their loved ones will return home soon, after a possible “Israeli” prisoner swap with Hizbullah. They said the captivity of four “Israeli” soldiers is the only hope they have to see “Israel” release their relatives. We met the family of Mustafa Dirani, a leading resistance figure, who was kidnapped by “Israeli” commandos from his home in 1994. 

“ For the past six and a half years Zeinab Dirani has struggled to ensure her five children remember their father. Mustafa Dirani, affectionately known as Hajj Abu Ali, is a leading resistance figure in the Believer’s Resistance Movement. He was kidnapped by “Israeli” soldiers from his home in the Bekaa Valley. Sara was only two years old when dozens of “Israeli” soldiers stormed their home in the cloak of the night. Zeinab encourages her children to work hard in school so their father will be proud of their grades. Following Hezbullah's abduction of three “Israeli” soldiers last week, Zeinab feels her husband's return is closer. [Zeinab Dirani, Wife Detainee Mustafa Dirani, "We feel he is at home. I feel he is sitting with us, he is speaking with us... We feel that he is with us when we sit to eat on the table, we leave a chair for him so we can feel that his body is with us. Of course, his thoughts and beliefs-whatever he believes-lives with us.] For the first two years of his kidnapping, Zeinab didn't know if Dirani was alive or not. The International Committee for the Red Cross was unable to convince the “Israeli” government to allow Zeinab or her children to correspond with Dirani. In 1996 they received their one and only correspondence from Dirani. A four- line postcard arrived, saying he is fine and pleading for them to be patient. The first time they saw Hajj Abu Ali was on television in an “Israeli” court. [Zeinab Dirani, Wife of Detainee Mustafa Dirani, "We were very surprised when we saw Hajj Abu Ali on TV in the court. We were very happy to see him, to hear his voice. And he was looking to the camera to make us know he is all right. He was laughing-of course he was laughing for his children...(How did he look after six years?) Grown older but he is strong as we know him. He is patient as we know him... He gives us strength really.]  Zeinab describes the trauma her children suffered by their father's violent abduction.-years of vivid nightmares, crying jags and constant fear. Um Ali said she hopes no one goes through her ordeal, even “Israelis”. [I can't say that they should suffer as we are suffering for more than six and a half years because we are not like them... We respect our human rights so we can't do like them...They don't respect human rights...Two days or three days passed and all the world came here, they want to be sure the “Israeli” soldiers are still alive or they are in good health. So they are human beings and our detainees are not human beings.]  Zeinab doesn't know when her husband is coming home. These days his return seems one step sooner.

Future TV, 16-10-2000.