Israel is today holding funerals for two soldiers returned in a prisoner swap with Hizbullah.
Thousands attended a funeral in the northern Israeli town of Nahariya, broadcast live on television, for Ehud Goldwasser (31), whose capture two years ago along with Eldad Regev sparked a 34-day war in which 1,200 Lebanese and 159 Israelis died.
Mr Regev will be buried later today.
Defence Minister Ehud Barak said at Mr Goldwasser's gravesite that Israel was "heartbroken" and had "paid a heavy price" by freeing five guerrillas involved in lethal attacks against Israelis in exchange for the bodies, which were returned in black coffins.
He vowed Israel would "make every effort" to retrieve other captive soldiers, including Gilat Shalit, who was abducted by militants from the Gaza Strip in a 2006 cross-border raid.
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert yesterday singled out for criticism the honours that went to Samir Qantar, reviled by Israel for a 1979 attack that killed four people in Beirut.
"Woe betide the people who celebrate the release of a beastly man who bludgeoned the skull of a four-year-old toddler," Mr Olmert said in a statement, referring to the four-year-old girl Qantar killed with her father.
Qantar has said Israeli soldiers shot the father and also wounded him and that he does not remember what happened to the girl.
Hizbullah leader Sayed Hassan Nasrallah made a rare public appearance to welcome the prisoners on Wednesday. More celebrations were held today to honour the remains of 197 Lebanese, including guerrillas and other Arab fighters, handed over by Israel.
Reuters