"Israeli" Sources: Deal with Hizbullah Likely Next Week
Source: Al-Manar TV, 17-06-2008
An exchange of detainees with Hizbullah is expected to take place in the near future, possibly even by late next week, 'Israeli' security sources confirmed on Monday.
Lebanese media referred to a number of possible dates for an exchange Monday, with Friday June 20 as the earliest, and Wednesday June 25 being the latest.
A senior political source told ‘Israeli' daily Haaretz on Monday that ‘Israel' is still waiting for a final response from Hizbullah and "nothing is final yet."
Zvi Regev, father of one of the captured ‘Israeli' occupation soldiers, said Monday the family had recently been briefed about an exchange deal that was described as in advanced stages.
In an interview to Israel Radio, Regev said Ofer Dekel, who has been charged by ‘Israeli' Prime Minister Ehud Olmert with managing the deal over the detainees, "told us in general terms there will be a deal. That there is a deal, that's it."
Dekel is due back in Occupied Palestine Thursday, presumably from Germany where Berlin has been mediating a deal with Hizbullah, and will update the prime minister on developments.
Meanwhile, the family of missing 'Israeli' air force navigator Ron Arad, announced last night it would not participate in a meeting with the prime minister scheduled to take place Tuesday.
Olmert initiated the meeting to inform them he had decided to include Samir Kuntar. Kuntar has remained in ‘Israeli' prison, in part as a result of pressure by the Arad family, because he is considered to be the "final" bargaining chip for information on the fate of Ron Arad, who was captured after ejecting from his aircraft over Lebanon in 1986.
Sources in the Prime Minister's Bureau said Monday night the meeting was not cancelled and had been postponed, adding that the reports published by the Lebanese daily Al-Akhbar, suggesting a prisoner exchange deal is expected as early as next week, were "inaccurate," adding it is unlikely the deal will be finalized in such a short time.
As for Ron Arad: Eliad Shraga, head of the Born Free organization, told ‘Israeli' daily Ynet that "every possible mistake has been made. Hizbullah has beaten ‘Israel' big-time. They've been able to get every last one of our bargaining chips, kidnap more soldiers and now we have nothing left. Promises must be kept. We had to give (Mustafa) Dirani and (Abdel Karim) Obeid in the last prisoner swap - they were the best bargaining chips we had on Ron's case. To make this wrong a little more right, they told us the deal would have a second stage - information about Ron in exchange for Kuntar. It's been four year. Kuntar is going home and we still have no new information about Ron."
It is expected that the exchange will take place on German soil, in part because Israel is concerned that a transfer through the border crossing in Rosh Hanikra would allow Hizbullah to hold victory celebrations in southern Lebanon.
The deal is still pending cabinet approval and there is no definitive date set for deliberations on the matter. The ‘Israeli' prime minister may only seek approval from his cabinet via telephone.
An exchange of detainees with Hizbullah is expected to take place in the near future, possibly even by late next week, 'Israeli' security sources confirmed on Monday.
Lebanese media referred to a number of possible dates for an exchange Monday, with Friday June 20 as the earliest, and Wednesday June 25 being the latest.
A senior political source told ‘Israeli' daily Haaretz on Monday that ‘Israel' is still waiting for a final response from Hizbullah and "nothing is final yet."
Zvi Regev, father of one of the captured ‘Israeli' occupation soldiers, said Monday the family had recently been briefed about an exchange deal that was described as in advanced stages.
In an interview to Israel Radio, Regev said Ofer Dekel, who has been charged by ‘Israeli' Prime Minister Ehud Olmert with managing the deal over the detainees, "told us in general terms there will be a deal. That there is a deal, that's it."
Dekel is due back in Occupied Palestine Thursday, presumably from Germany where Berlin has been mediating a deal with Hizbullah, and will update the prime minister on developments.
Meanwhile, the family of missing 'Israeli' air force navigator Ron Arad, announced last night it would not participate in a meeting with the prime minister scheduled to take place Tuesday.
Olmert initiated the meeting to inform them he had decided to include Samir Kuntar. Kuntar has remained in ‘Israeli' prison, in part as a result of pressure by the Arad family, because he is considered to be the "final" bargaining chip for information on the fate of Ron Arad, who was captured after ejecting from his aircraft over Lebanon in 1986.
Sources in the Prime Minister's Bureau said Monday night the meeting was not cancelled and had been postponed, adding that the reports published by the Lebanese daily Al-Akhbar, suggesting a prisoner exchange deal is expected as early as next week, were "inaccurate," adding it is unlikely the deal will be finalized in such a short time.
As for Ron Arad: Eliad Shraga, head of the Born Free organization, told ‘Israeli' daily Ynet that "every possible mistake has been made. Hizbullah has beaten ‘Israel' big-time. They've been able to get every last one of our bargaining chips, kidnap more soldiers and now we have nothing left. Promises must be kept. We had to give (Mustafa) Dirani and (Abdel Karim) Obeid in the last prisoner swap - they were the best bargaining chips we had on Ron's case. To make this wrong a little more right, they told us the deal would have a second stage - information about Ron in exchange for Kuntar. It's been four year. Kuntar is going home and we still have no new information about Ron."
It is expected that the exchange will take place on German soil, in part because Israel is concerned that a transfer through the border crossing in Rosh Hanikra would allow Hizbullah to hold victory celebrations in southern Lebanon.
The deal is still pending cabinet approval and there is no definitive date set for deliberations on the matter. The ‘Israeli' prime minister may only seek approval from his cabinet via telephone.
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