BEIRUT, 26 January 2004 — Israel and Hezbollah will exchange prisoners Thursday and Friday, then later look into more releases and the case of a long-missing Israeli airman, Hezbollah leader Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah said yesterday.
“After Thursday and Friday, there will be no Lebanese prisoners in Israeli jails,” Nasrallah told reporters in Beirut. “But the door is still open and the second stage will be very important, especially for the Palestinians.”
His comments came a day after it was announced that Israel and Hezbollah had concluded a German-mediated agreement to swap prisoners.
Under the first stage of the agreement, Israel is to release 35 prisoners from Arab countries, including 23 Lebanese, as well as 400 Palestinian prisoners. It would be Israel’s most significant release of Palestinian prisoners since Ariel Sharon became prime minister three years ago.
Hezbollah is to free Israeli businessman Elhanan Tannenbaum and three Israeli soldiers — all captured by the group in October 2000. Nasrallah refused to say whether the three Israeli soldiers the group is holding were dead or alive, saying everyone will know their fate on Thursday. Tannenbaum is known to be alive.
Nasrallah confirmed further talks are planned to secure the release of Lebanon’s longest-held prisoner in Israel, Samir Kantar, whom Israel is keeping to help win information on airman Ron Arad. Nasrallah’s reference to no more Lebanese prisoners in Israeli jails appeared to indicate his confidence that Kantar’s release would be imminent, though it is not expected this week. Arad is not part of the current deal.
In Jerusalem, Sharon said Israel had made a “correct, moral and responsible decision” in agreeing to a prisoner exchange with one of its most bitter enemies.
“Israel has proved again that it acts according to the important value of returning its sons home,” Sharon told reporters at the start of a Cabinet meeting.
