Subscribe to Print Edition | Mon., June 30, 2008 Sivan 27, 5768 | | Israel Time: 11:21 (EST+7) web haaretz.com   Back to Homepage Rosner's Domain Diplomacy Defense Jewish World Opinion National Print Edition Car Rental Books Peres Conference Business Real Estate Easy Start Travel Week's End Anglo File

Karnit Goldwasser, wife of abducted soldier Ehud Goldwasser. (Tomer Neuberg / Jini) Last update - 18:07 18/06/2008 Families of missing soldiers briefed ahead of Hezbollah deal By Amos Harel and Jack Khoury, Haaretz Correspondents, and Reuters Tags: Eldad Regev, Ehud Goldwasser  The families of kidnapped soldiers Eldad Regev and Ehud Goldwasser were summoned for a briefing on Wednesday with Ofer Dekel, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's negotiations coordinator, in the Defense Ministry headquarters in Tel Aviv. Earlier, Dekel arrived from Berlin, where he met with German officials who are mediating contacts with Hezbollah. The families will be updated on the latest developments in the talks. Shlomo Goldwasser, Ehud's father, told Haaretz not to expect any dramatic developments before this weekend. Advertisement Although the outlines of the prisoner swap now being brokered with Hezbollah seems to indicate Israel's assessment that Regev and Goldwasser are dead, their families have received no official word. Regev and Goldwasser's parents told Haaretz and other news outlets in recent interviews that they have no new information, and as far as they are concerned their sons are alive unless proven otherwise. Israeli defense officials said this week that the deal for the return of Regev and Goldwasser could be concluded toward the end of next week. Dekel is to report to Olmert on Wednesday on progress in his talks with the German mediator Gerhard Konrad. Several questions remain to be resolved, and therefore no date has been set for the inner cabinet to discuss the issue. On Monday bulldozers were seen at work in the cemetery for enemy dead in the Galilee, which may mean that preparations are under way to exhume bodies of Hezbollah fighters. In the previous prisoner exchange in 2004, a similar problem arose regarding the fate of the three soldiers abducted at Shaba Farms in October 2000 - Adi Avitan, Benny Avraham and Omar Sueid. Then, too, Hezbollah refused to divulge any information to Israel on the condition of the three soldiers. However, at an advanced stage of talks over a swap, Israel learned that the three were dead and the situation was treated as such. The present deal is somewhat different. Evidence collected at the scene of the July 12, 2006 abduction near Moshav Zarit on the Lebanese border showed that Regev and Goldwasser were seriously injured during the incident. A medical report stated that it was highly likely that one of the two was dead. No sign of life has ever been received from them, which may mean that they were indeed killed in the course of the abduction. But lacking proof, no decision has been made to declare them dead and no such assessment given to the families. However, the families may not have been informed because given the media spotlight on them, it would be difficult to keep such information secret for even for a short time. If official word leaked that the terrorist Samir Kuntar was being swapped - as is reportedly under discussion - without receiving live prisoners in return, public criticism would make it difficult to approve the deal. Kuntar's lawyer, Elias Sabbagh, told Army Radio Monday, "All the signs and indications are that a deal is coming together," but cautioned he had not heard anything official. "We know that a deal to release the prisoners may be under completion," Lebanese political leader Michel Aoun, who is allied with Hezbollah, said Tuesday in Beirut. He gave no further details. Related articles: Uzi Benziman / A kosher deal Israeli sources: Deal with Hezbollah likely next week Family of captive soldier: Deal with Hezbollah developing Report: Israel may free Lebanon terrorist Samir Kuntar this month Bookmark to del.icio.us   Wimbledon shocker Shahar Peer knocks out 9th-seed Safina to slide into the fourth round. Time to hit Iran Israel must destroy Iran's nuclear program within one year or risk being attacked.   1.   No Kuntar for dead bodies!!!!!!! 16:50  |  Eric 18/06/08   2.   Samirele did some killing (S; yesterday) 17:02  |  Tosefta 18/06/08   3.   Enough is Enough 17:30  |  Dr. Allan 18/06/08   4.   Dead bodies... 18:47  |  Michael 18/06/08   5.   Samir Kuntar 18:48  |  Charles 18/06/08   6.   Stupidity 19:10  |  Castor Troy 18/06/08   7.   Kuntar should be dying of some mysterious ailment 19:16  |  Dror 18/06/08   8.   hezbollah`s guys better return in same shape as ours! 19:19  |  ralph 18/06/08   9.   NO DEAL IF SOLDIERS NOT ALIVE 19:26  |  MJ 18/06/08   10.   Exchange 19:31  |  Matt Houston 18/06/08   11.   hope they are still alive 19:58  |  gino 18/06/08   12.   Dror #7 19:59  |  Johanatan 18/06/08   13.   If I remember rightly 20:08  |  Chris Linthwaite 18/06/08   14.   to those who ask to kill kuntar 20:39  |  ClearCut 18/06/08   15.   Mini explosive implant 21:14  |  Dror 18/06/08   16.   Indeed Chris, true to his word 21:27  |  Jacob Blues 18/06/08   17.   A 16 year old has served a 30 year sentence ... 22:11  |  Bernie 18/06/08   18.   It is appalling how cold blooded so many posters are. 22:12  |  Bernie 18/06/08   19.   Bernie and "humanity" 23:25  |  Joe Sittizen 18/06/08   20.   No, Chris, you don`t remember rightly at all. 23:31  |  Joe Sittizen 18/06/08   21.   kuntar, a "hero"... 23:40  |  a lebanese jew 18/06/08   22.   lebanese jew 00:29  |  co-patriot 19/06/08   23.   Clearcut and Bernie 01:02  |  Johanatan 19/06/08   24.   You remember wrongly Chris Linthwaite, as usual 01:11  |  Free Gilad Shalit 19/06/08   25.   Dror #15 01:12  |  Johanatan 19/06/08   26.   Bernie, go stick a sock in it! 01:17  |  Free Gilad Shalit 19/06/08   27.   #1 Eric. Settle yourself down. 01:28  |  Maureen Ann 19/06/08   28.   If dead then strike the car carrying kuntar into Beirut 03:11  |  Future1 19/06/08   29.   I don`t understand why Israel has been feeding and sheltering 03:45  |  this guy? And... 19/06/08   30.   Kuntars Welcome and Who Started the War 04:48  |  Bernie 19/06/08   31.   Bernie??? 17:54  |  Johanatan 19/06/08   32.   bernie,you saying "lebanon will finish his rehabilitation" is 02:21  |  terrornator 20/06/08   33.   maureen ann,how many hundreds of thousands of "dead aborigines" 02:27  |  terrornator 20/06/08   34.   Kuntar should be returned a-live 03:45  |  Yisrael L`Olam 30/06/08

Read & React Editorial: Darfur is Israel's problem, too Responses: 9 Bar-On: If we cede Kuntar, Barghouti will be next Responses: 18 Iran court sentences man to death for spying for Israel Responses: 37 Festive welcome awaits prisoners in Lebanese towns Responses: 11 Hamas worried about rise in support for religious sects Responses: 12 TV: IDF targets West Bank charities in bid to curb Hamas Send response Rosner's Domain When Sheldon Adelson met Bush (WTR) Poll: Hezbollah swap - good or bad? Can Israel legally strike Iran with nukes? Is Time's Joe Klein being honest when he criticizes Joe Lieberman? "The war in Iraq was inevitable" (WTR) More Headlines 11:08 Iran hands down death sentence to 'Israeli spy' 11:08 Hezbollah has told Israel that Ron Arad is dead 10:26 Bar-On: If we cede Kuntar, Barghouti will be next 10:42 Hamas arrests Fatah Al-Aqsa spokesman after Qassam claim 11:00 Livni, Mofaz jockey for support ahead of primaries in Kadima 11:13 Robot hospital: Where IDF treats droids wounded in the line of fire 00:26 First rabbis ordained in Poland since the Holocaust 09:25 More tourists viewing Haifa as a destination 04:14 Festive welcome awaits prisoners in Lebanese towns 04:32 Hamas worried about rise in support for religious sects 05:15 Ex-Barak aide says has incriminating evidence on campaign donations 05:47 Court: 'Jenin, Jenin' untruthful, but does not slander soldiers Previous Editions Select Day 29 jun 27 jun 26 jun 25 jun 24 jun 23 jun 22 jun 20 jun 19 jun 18 jun 17 jun 16 jun

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