Progress Reported in Hizbullah-"Israel" Prisoner Swap ~ Nassim Nisr in Lebanon Sunday
Source: Al-Manar TV, 27-5-2008
"Israeli" political and media sources well informed about the ongoing indirect swap negotiations between "Israel" and Hizbullah echoed Hizbullah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah's assertion that there has been progress to complete the deal.
Reports of a deal inching closer to finalization began to spread after Sayyed Nasrallah made a speech Monday evening in which he said "Kintar and other Lebanese prisoners will soon return to Lebanon."
A source involved in the negotiations told German news agency DPA on Monday that "all we can say is that the German mediator has managed to remove some of the obstacles on the way to finalizing a deal."
"Israeli" military analyst Yoav Limor told Channel 10 that ""Israel" will release Samir Kintar and Nassim Nisr who is accused of spying for Hizbullah, as well as four Hizbullah members and 10 bodies for party members in return for the two captured soldiers whose fate remains unclear knowing that there is pessimism over their fate."
Haaretz quoted a senior security source as saying that the swap deal with Hizbullah is yet far off. The source added that some details and obstacles remain unsolved. Another source quoted by Haaretz said that hopes should be so high, "however there is progress in talks but not yet a breakthrough."Israel" is still waiting for Hizbullah's response on a set of proposals, yet Nasrallah's speech Monday could signal to the party's approval on them."
"Israeli" expert in Arab affairs Tzvi Yehezkeli said that "Nasrallah seems to have made his position based on solid foundations. Nasrallah today is different from Nasrallah yesterday. He's much stronger in Lebanon and therefore he can complete the swap deal. It was very obvious that Nasrallah controls the time course."
"Israeli" Channel One Arab Affairs commentator Oded Granot said that "Nasrallah's words did not come out of the blue. There is a breakthrough because the German mediator met with Hizbullah officials and Nasrallah's words on the release of Kintar also point in the same direction. I met Kintar in jail last year and he told me: 'look, Nasrallah is going to set me free. It's going to take some time, but it will happen." It seems that Kintar was right."
In the meantime, Nassim Nisr's lawyer said that "Israeli" official sides informed her that Nisr will be released and sent back to Lebanon through the Naqura crossing next Sunday.
In 2002 Nasr was sentenced to a six-year prison term after being tried for spying for Hizbullah.
Though Nisr has recently finished serving his sentence, "Israeli" authorities continued to hold him under administrative detention - possibly hoping he could be used as a bartering chip in the negotiations.
Nasr's attorney, Smadar Ben-Natan, told Ynet that "the timing is not incidental. "Israel" could have transferred him to Lebanon several weeks ago, but now the delayed release has been made to appear as an "Israeli" gesture."
"Israeli" political and media sources well informed about the ongoing indirect swap negotiations between "Israel" and Hizbullah echoed Hizbullah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah's assertion that there has been progress to complete the deal.
Reports of a deal inching closer to finalization began to spread after Sayyed Nasrallah made a speech Monday evening in which he said "Kintar and other Lebanese prisoners will soon return to Lebanon."
A source involved in the negotiations told German news agency DPA on Monday that "all we can say is that the German mediator has managed to remove some of the obstacles on the way to finalizing a deal."
"Israeli" military analyst Yoav Limor told Channel 10 that ""Israel" will release Samir Kintar and Nassim Nisr who is accused of spying for Hizbullah, as well as four Hizbullah members and 10 bodies for party members in return for the two captured soldiers whose fate remains unclear knowing that there is pessimism over their fate."
Haaretz quoted a senior security source as saying that the swap deal with Hizbullah is yet far off. The source added that some details and obstacles remain unsolved. Another source quoted by Haaretz said that hopes should be so high, "however there is progress in talks but not yet a breakthrough."Israel" is still waiting for Hizbullah's response on a set of proposals, yet Nasrallah's speech Monday could signal to the party's approval on them."
"Israeli" expert in Arab affairs Tzvi Yehezkeli said that "Nasrallah seems to have made his position based on solid foundations. Nasrallah today is different from Nasrallah yesterday. He's much stronger in Lebanon and therefore he can complete the swap deal. It was very obvious that Nasrallah controls the time course."
"Israeli" Channel One Arab Affairs commentator Oded Granot said that "Nasrallah's words did not come out of the blue. There is a breakthrough because the German mediator met with Hizbullah officials and Nasrallah's words on the release of Kintar also point in the same direction. I met Kintar in jail last year and he told me: 'look, Nasrallah is going to set me free. It's going to take some time, but it will happen." It seems that Kintar was right."
In the meantime, Nassim Nisr's lawyer said that "Israeli" official sides informed her that Nisr will be released and sent back to Lebanon through the Naqura crossing next Sunday.
In 2002 Nasr was sentenced to a six-year prison term after being tried for spying for Hizbullah.
Though Nisr has recently finished serving his sentence, "Israeli" authorities continued to hold him under administrative detention - possibly hoping he could be used as a bartering chip in the negotiations.
Nasr's attorney, Smadar Ben-Natan, told Ynet that "the timing is not incidental. "Israel" could have transferred him to Lebanon several weeks ago, but now the delayed release has been made to appear as an "Israeli" gesture."
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