Hizbullah expects to complete Prisoners deal soon; Israel includes 400 detainees
Lebanon-Israel, Politics, 9/23/2003

Palestinian and Israeli sources stressed similarly that a nearby deal for exchanging prisoners will be made between the Hizbullah and Israel. It will include releasing 400 detainees including at least 200 Palestinians for Hizbullah and handing over three Israeli soldiers and an intelligence officer held by it.

The sources expected the deal to also include the secretary of the Fatah movement in the West Bank Marwan Barghouthi.

An Israeli security source stressed continued progress in the two sides negotiations concerning the agreement but that completing it requires the consent of the mini Israeli security cabinet.

A prominent Palestinian security official said that the name of Barghouthi is on the list of persons negotiated for their release, noting that unless complications take place the prisoners exchange process will take place within two weeks.

The sources stressed that the current deal does not include the Israeli pilot Ron Arad who was missed in 1986 in south Lebanon. The sources expected finalizing an independent and more important deal concerning him in which most or all the Palestinian detainees will be released and an Israeli land mine map in Lebanon will be given to the Lebanese side as soon as Hizbullah can decide Arad's fate.

In the same context, the secretary general of the Hizbullah Party Hassan Nasrullah renewed his optimism over a nearby solution for the exchange of prisoners with Israel.

In a statement issued yesterday with the Lebanese daily Assafir, Nasrullah said that negotiations with Israel via the German mediators is witnessing "elements of serious progress." In addition to thousands of Palestinians, Israel is holding 20 Lebanese including two of the leaders of the Hizbullah party Sheikh Abdul Karim Obeid who was kidnapped by the Israeli occupation forces from the Lebanese territories in 1989 and Mustafa al-Deirani who was also kidnapped from the Lebanese lands in 1994.

Previous Stories:
  Al-Rai al-Am: Shalom Silvan: Shebaa farms are Syrians   (9/18/2003)
  Hizbullah negotiates with Israel over non- Lebanese prisoners   (9/18/2003)
  Lebanon complains to the UN Security Council against Israeli violations   (9/6/2003)

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