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Israel willing to discuss prisoner swap: report
The report was published on the newspaper's Web site as the Israeli cabinet met to approve a U.N. Security Council resolution calling for a cessation of the month-long conflict which is expected to go into effect on Monday. Spokesmen for the Israeli government could not immediately be reached for comment. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has said he will not negotiate to free the soldiers Hizbollah captured in a July 12 cross-border raid, but Israel has traded prisoners for its own captives in the past. "Israel has done, is doing and will do all it is able to do in order to effect the return home of the sons," Olmert told his cabinet at the outset of its weekly session on Sunday. Israel Radio quoted Olmert as telling ministers he would name a senior official to deal with the issue and "a tremendous struggle is being waged to free them." Haaretz said Israel would negotiate the release of the troops and that in exchange Israel would be ready to free several Lebanese prisoners and about 20 other Hizbollah men it has captured during its current offensive in Lebanon. Posted by: Steve White 2006-08-13 |
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