The long-awaited prisoner swap between Israel and Hezbollah finally took place on Wednesday. There was joy and jubilation in Lebanon and throughout the Middle East, whereas in Israel, it was a day of mourning. The International Criminal Court's move to arrest Sudan's President Omar Al Bashir for alleged genocide and war crimes in Darfur also made headlines and was hotly debated throughout the region. These events were contemplated, analysed and commented on. We present here excerpts of editorials from the regional and the international press
Exchange of prisoners
Samir Kantar and four other Lebanese prisoners freed by Israel were accorded a hero's welcome, after Hezbollah handed over the bodies of the two Israeli soldiers seized by the militant organisation in 2006.
The Daily Star hailed the prisoner swap as a victory for Hezbollah and stated that Hezbollah would keep on winning until Israel plays by a new set of rules. Commenting further, it said: "Hezbollah did more than honour a promise when it wrapped up its exchange of prisoners and bodies with Israel on Wednesday: The resistance movement also closed yet another chapter in the long history of its struggle with the Jewish state - and, again, did so in a manner that prevented the Israelis from dictating the outcome."
As for the Israelis, it said "Wednesday had to have been a humiliating experience. ... In the end, however, they did precisely what Hezbollah's leader, Hassan Nasrallah, said they would. Hopefully, when the humiliation wears off, they will have learned a valuable lesson," it added.
Prisoner exchange brings joy, but also lasting pain, proclaimed Gulf Times "Despite the celebrations and the victory speeches, there was no winner or loser ... War is the playground of politicians, extremists and idealists, yet it is the rest of society that has to pick up the pieces.
Once the celebrations have quieted, the speeches have finished and the Press has moved on, the only lasting legacy of this long-awaited exchange will be tears - and they will pour from both sides of the divide," it added.
ICC and Sudan
Luis Moreno-Ocampo, prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, has requested for an arrest warrant against the President of Sudan Omar Al Bashir for his alleged crimes against humanity. Arab and African leaders have warned of the consequences if the warrant is carried out, despite the fact that Sudan is not a signatory to the ICC.
The New York Times supported the ICC move and said: "The truth can be difficult. That doesn't make it any less true. And so we support the decision by the prosecutor at the International Criminal Court to bring charges of genocide against Sudan's president, Omar Hassan Al Bashir, for his role in masterminding Darfur's horrors."
It added: "There is legitimate concern that Sudan's government may vent its ire - even more than it has - on aid workers, United Nations peacekeepers and the people of Darfur. But the prosecutor, Luis Moreno-Ocampo, is fulfilling his internationally mandated responsibilities."
Sudan Tribune termed the ICC decision as part of "an American continued regime change project."
It stated that it was untimely and unwarranted. "Africans know justice but they also care about the consequences or casualties of that justice. Africans solutions will always remain the best! It's not a secret that the powerful nation on Earth stands for the unity of the Sudan, irrespective of other views in this country. It's not a surprise and everyone knows that it was just coming; but unity on Americans terms won't help the situation on the ground! We have fragile peace agreements that need nurturing and protection," it remarked.
