Subscribe to Print Edition | Thu., May 29, 2008 Iyyar 24, 5768 | | Israel Time: 11:42 (EST+7) web haaretz.com   Back to Homepage Rosner's Domain Diplomacy Defense Jewish World Opinion National Print Edition Advertising Books Peres Conference Business Real Estate Easy Start Travel Week's End Anglo File

Last update - 23:07 27/05/2008 Lebanon daily: Israel waived demand for details on missing airman Ron Arad By Yoav Stern and Yossi Melman, Haaretz Correspondents, and News Agencies Tags: israel, ron arad  The Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar reported on Tuesday that Israel conceded its demand to receive substantive information about missing Israel Air Force navigator Ron Arad in exchange for the release of Samir Kuntar. According to the report, Hezbollah notified a German United Nations mediator that it is not willing to accept Israel's demand to release only Lebanese prisoners, and stressed that there will be no swap without Kuntar's release. The newspaper also mentioned that Hezbollah showed it made multiple efforts to search for Arad. Advertisement Contrary to reports in Israel, Hezbollah's "inside sources" claimed that the organization rejects Israel's demand that only Lebanese prisoners, and no Palestinians, be freed in the deal. Israeli sources on Monday said that Israel and Hezbollah had struck a deal securing the release of two Israeli soldiers, Eldad Regev and Ehud Goldwasser, captured by the Lebanon-based militant group in a July 2006 cross border raid that sparked the Second Lebanon War. The sources explained that in exchange for the captives, Israel would release Kuntar, a Lebanese militant currently imprisoned in Israel for the 1979 murder of a Nahariyah family, an Israeli citizen jailed for espionage on Hezbollah's behalf and four other Hezbollah men captured by Israel during the 2006 war. The deal reportedly will also include the return of the remains of ten Lebanese fighters, currently held by Israel, to Hezbollah. Earlier on Monday, Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah hinted that a prisoner swap would soon be completed, telling supporters in Beirut that Kuntar would soon be freed. The sources refrained from commenting on whether Goldwasser and Regev were alive. However, a medical report encompassing evidence from the site of the kidnapping near Israel's northern border maintained that at both Israel Defense Forces soldiers were seriously hurt at the scene. The sources added that the fact that the deal did not include any Palestinian prisoners held in Israel may be indicative of the Israeli captives' condition. The timetable for the exchange of prisoners is not yet clear. Also on Monday, another source involved in the negotiations over the release of the two captive soldiers said "a prisoner exchange deal with Hezbollah is yet far off." According to the source, Israel has not received any information in recent days to indicate that a deal is in fact within reach. The source added that the German mediator who has been working on the deal was not in Beirut last week, in contrast with media reports to the contrary. "Nasrallah doesn't coordinate his speeches with Israel," the source stressed, saying that the fact that Nasrallah hinted in his speech Monday that Kuntar would soon be released from the Israeli prison in which he has been held since 1979, was not a new revelation. As long as four years ago, Nasrallah proclaimed that Kuntar would be released in the second part of the exchange deal that saw another Israeli Hezbollah captive, Elhanan Tenenbaum, returned to Israel. However, after Nasrallah failed to fulfill his part of the deal - to provide Israel with information regarding the missing navigator Ron Arad - Israel responded in kind and refused to release Kuntar. The source stressed that one may take solace in the fact that Nasrallah, in the sole sentence in which he referred to any prisoner exchange, did not mention the release of Palestinian prisoners, as he has consistently done in the past. Nasrallah's demand for the release of Palestinian prisoners held in Israel has, in the past, been the main obstacle standing in the way of an agreement between Israel and Hezbollah. As was reported in Haaretz last week, Israel has made it clear, via the German mediator, that it would not release Palestinian prisoners in an exchange with a Lebanese organization. Israel explained that the negotiations surrounding the prisoner exchange was underway within the framework of United Nations Security Council resolution 1701, the resolution that ended the 2006 conflict between Israel and the Hezbollah, which applies only to Lebanon, and not to the Palestinian Authority. The source also said that Israel cannot expect, in light of Hezbollah's past behavior, for specific information about whether the prisoners are alive prior to the execution of the exchange. "Unfortunately," he said, "we will know at the very last minute whether the soldiers are returned alive or in coffins." Related articles: ANALYSIS / Nasrallah preparing for Kuntar's homecoming Abducted soldiers' families skeptical about Lebanese reports of swap deal Survey: Nasrallah is the most admired leader in the Arab world Bookmark to del.icio.us   Scuba SMS Ultrasonic sound wave technology revolutionizes underwater communication. 'Hip-hop violinist' Israeli violinist participates in New York event, celebrating Israel's 60th anniversary.   1.   Too Much 14:30  |  Northern Resident 27/05/08   2.   #1 15:20  |  johnny 27/05/08   3.   The only surprise in all this 15:39  |  Arie 27/05/08   4.   Prisonner exchange 15:43  |  David 27/05/08   5.   Arabs Love Child Killers 16:03  |  Tex 27/05/08   6.   Johnny: Grow Up 16:05  |  Tex 27/05/08   7.   #2 heartless bastard 16:07  |  Ramius 27/05/08   8.   Tex- what`s your problem?! 16:36  |  bashar 27/05/08   9.   put a honing device inside kunter and when he meets nasrallah, 16:48  |  terrornator 27/05/08   10.   Al Akhbar makes up news 16:53  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 27/05/08   11.   Bashar: Johnny Isn`t Everyone 17:00  |  Tex 27/05/08   12.   Prepare 5 to 6 Portions Of The Caustic Cocktail That Once Flowed 17:08  |  Lavi 27/05/08   13.   Perhaps some hidden benefit? 17:10  |  Aphemia 27/05/08   14.   tex-- wrong again! 17:19  |  bashar 27/05/08   15.   #9 Hey Terrornator 18:04  |  ballistic 27/05/08   16.   There Dead MOVE ON 18:07  |  Fred 27/05/08   17.   Expect another shameful deal 18:15  |  Jonathan S 27/05/08   18.   israeli politicians 19:29  |  mohamad 27/05/08   19.   Zionist Daily: Hezbanon to Waive Extortions for Criminals Release 20:08  |  Joseph . E 27/05/08   20.   Regev and Godwasser should have been released 20:09  |  KUTW 27/05/08   21.   Prisoner exchange 20:17  |  howiej 27/05/08   22.   When is the UN going to condemn 20:21  |  KUTW 27/05/08   23.   Tex #5 re killing children, you are the champions of the world 21:03  |  northern neighbor 27/05/08   24.   sorry ballestic but i don`t drink,now,what about all the meds you 21:17  |  terrornator 27/05/08   25.   hey ballestic,i mostly despise people that stab america in the 21:25  |  terrornator 27/05/08   26.   Jewish terror 21:55  |  sayed 27/05/08   27.   #24 Say Terrornator; Jews don`t love Christians. 22:14  |  ballistic 27/05/08   28.   #22 KUTW-When is the UN gonna blah, blah, blah? 22:19  |  ballistic 27/05/08   29.   Sayed?? 22:20  |  Miche Norman 27/05/08   30.   Respect Hizbollah 22:24  |  Miche Norman 27/05/08   31.   #20 Yes, KUTW, and according to the UN 22:25  |  ballistic 27/05/08   32.   The Very Last Minute 22:38  |  Jeff Northridge 27/05/08   33.   31.ballistic.the squatters are the Arabs 23:02  |  KUTW 27/05/08   34.   Swap of prisoners (2nd try) 23:05  |  KUTW 27/05/08   35.   #25 There you go Terrornator with your BS! 23:08  |  ballistic 27/05/08   36.   27 ballistic re Terrornator 23:09  |  KUTW 27/05/08   37.   28. ballistic: blah, blah, blah 23:12  |  KUTW 27/05/08   38.   ballestic,i`m thinking you have finally taken too many drugs 00:16  |  terrornator 28/05/08   39.   ballestic #31,blah,blah,blah,thats the same ole crap you spout 00:22  |  terrornator 28/05/08   40.   ballestic,i said we could swap addresses,for someone who got her 00:25  |  terrornator 28/05/08   41.   Bashar: Difference of Opinion or Lying and Spreading Hate? 17:43  |  Tex 28/05/08   42.   Northern Neighbor: Little Thoughts, Tiny Brain 17:46  |  Tex 28/05/08   43.   #36 KUTW 21:01  |  ballistic 28/05/08   44.   #37 KUTW---I don`t advocate or support killing anybody! 21:04  |  ballistic 28/05/08   45.   #40 Say Terrornator 21:30  |  ballistic 28/05/08   46.   #33 KUTW---Who told you that? 23:58  |  ballistic 28/05/08   47.   #39 Terrornator 00:32  |  ballistic 29/05/08

Read & React U.K. union mulls new move to boycott Israeli academia Responses: 98 Meron Benvenisti: Isolation of Gaza is part of Israel's divide and conquer policy Responses: 5 Rosner's Guest: U.S. strengthening Iran, says dovish pro-Israel lobby Responses: 34 Olmert to Kadima: Give me time to prove my innocence Responses: 28 Haaretz.com TV: East J'lem Arabs detail violence they face by city's Jews Responses: 12 Rosner's Domain The story of Obama and the 'A' word Poll: What political option is better for Israel? Guest: If Iran can't be stopped diplomatically, we should contain it Attack on Iran? Not today (WTR) Explaining Hagee's Holocaust remarks More Headlines 05:51 Olmert to Kadima: Give me time to prove my innocence 08:30 Sources: Money laundering the key charge in Olmert case 09:10 Report: U.S. urges UN to find secret nuclear facilities in Syria 11:23 Barak: Early elections appear inevitable due to Olmert probe 00:00 U.K. academic union moves to consider boycott of Israeli academia 02:36 Jeremy Ben-Ami 08:25 Palestinians pin hopes of economic recovery on high-tech companies 09:31 Gaza City: Where the traffic jams smell like falafel 06:46 Israeli Arab seeks to overcome prejudice in advertising world 06:47 State to give Gush Katif evacuees NIS 1.5b more compensation Previous Editions Select Day 28 may 27 may 26 may 25 may 23 may 22 may 21 may 20 may 19 may 18 may 16 may 15 may

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