Israel rejects Hizbullah party's readiness to negotiate for releasing held Israeli prisoners

Israel on Sunday refused an announcement made by the Lebanese Hizbullah Party on its readiness to make negotiations to release any Israeli prisoners held by this party in return for releasing the Palestinians besieged by Israel's occupation army.

The Israeli rejection of the Hizbullah's proposal was voiced by the spokesman for the Israeli defense ministry Yarden Vatique.

Earlier, the Hizbullah party expressed its readiness to hold negotiations through any possible mediator concerning the beseiged Palestinians in Ramullah -- who are accused of killing the Israeli minister of tourism Rahba'am Zeifi -- and lifting the siege imposed on the Palestinians in the church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, West Bank.

In a statement released on Sunday, the party said it is ready to start negotiations immediately concerning the two said cases for releasing agreed upon Israeli prisoners held by the Hizbullah party.