Israel: prisoners negotiations advances with Hizbullah, Jordan
Lebanon-Israel, Politics, 10/3/2003

The Israeli daily Yediot Ahronot said yesterday that the German mediators in the process of exchanging prisoners between Hizbullah and Israel informed Israel that the Israeli Colonel Elhinan Tenenbowm, who has been held by Hizbullah since three years was exposed to torture, noting that the Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon is persistent to complete the exchange process.

The paper said that "members of the Hizbullah party tortured the Israeli General by taking off his teeth and his health condition is deteriorating continuously."

The paper quoted sources close to the Israeli prime minister that Sharon has become persistent following this information to push forward the negotiations with Hizbullah in order to exchange the prisoners and complete the process as soon as possible.

Israeli sources stressed "we will not leave any Israeli citizen in the hands of savages." The paper said that Israeli political sources stressed the negotiations concerning the release of prisoners is proceeding satisfactorily, rather it is likely the negotiations will be completed very soon. The paper added that the chairman of the Israeli negotiation team Eilan Beiran is currently in Germany where he continues contacts on the exchange operation.

In an Israeli attempt to prevent Hizbullah from achieving any political and moral gains from the exchange deal, Channel II in the Israeli TV disclosed yesterday that there "are underway negotiations and in an advanced phase between Israel and Jordan to release some 25 Jordanian prisoners in the nearby phase." The correspondent of the political affairs in channel II said that this step comes to block the way for Hizbullah gaining credit in a way where Jordanian prisoners will be released as a good intention initiative for the Jordanian King Abdullah II, rather than in the framework of the exchange operation with Hizbullah so as to show they were not released through the efforts of the Secretary General of the Hizbullah party Hassan Nasrullah.

Worthy mentioning that Nasrullah stressed that Jordanian prisoners are included in the exchange operation and that the Israeli side agreed to include Arab prisoners including Jordanians in the exchange operations.

Previous Stories:
  Hizbulah, Israel, deny suspension of negotiations   (10/2/2003)
  Hizbullah expects to complete Prisoners deal soon; Israel includes 400 detainees   (9/23/2003)
  Al-Rai al-Am: Shalom Silvan: Shebaa farms are Syrians   (9/18/2003)

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