The Lebanon-based Al Mayadeen television station, which has close affiliations to Hezbollah, broadcast on Saturday evening the first installment of a three-part documentary series marking a decade since the Second Lebanon War. The makers of the series have promised to show "never before seen footage" of IDF reservists Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev, whose abduction in July of 2006 by Hezbollah terrorists, during a routine patrol along the northern border, ignited the 34-day military conflict. In the segment broadcast Saturday, viewers can see footage of the last minutes of Goldwasser and Regev's border patrol in an IDF Humvee, which came under attack at 8:40 a.m. on July 12, 2006. Hezbollah's notorious military chief at the time, Imad Mugniyeh, is also documented overseeing the training for the abduction. Mugniyeh was assassinated in Damascus, Syria, in February 2008. On Friday, meanwhile, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah openly criticized Saudi Arabia, claiming it "grants Israel normalization of relations for nothing in return, while generally neglecting the Palestinian issue." Nasrallah also accused the Saudis of "betraying Arab interests in the region." "The Saudi's transition from clandestine ties with the Zionist entity [Israel] to open relations is a worrying development and the worst case for the Arabs in the Middle East," he added in a speech that was broadcast on a large screen in south Beirut's Dahiyeh neighborhood -- the group's stronghold. As an example, Nasrallah cited a recent visit to Israel by a Saudi delegation, saying: "Saudi Arabia denied it was an official delegation and said those were private people who did not represent its policy or positions. In Saudi Arabia they punish people for [tweets], but the Saudis allow senior members of the royal family and the leadership to meet with senior Israelis. Saudi Arabia is building security ties and coordinating with Israel, and even permits the issuing of [religious rulings] that prepare the ground for security coordination with the Zionist enemy. All of these acts are recognition of Israel and are normalizing relations with it for free." Saudi Arabia's Foreign Ministry distanced itself from the recent visit to Israel. The Saudi-owned newspaper Al-Hayat quoted an unnamed ministry official as saying the rare public engagement "does not reflect the views of the Saudi government." The official referred to Israel as "the occupied territories."
Hezbollah airs rare footage of ambush that set off 2006 war
First installment of three-part documentary series shows late Hezbollah military chief Imad Mugniyeh overseeing training for the abduction of IDF reservists Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev • Hezbollah chief lambasts Saudi Arabia for relations with Israel.
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