Israel and Hezbollah Agree to Prisoner Exchange

The deal was signed in the presence of a UN officer in acting in the capacity of guarantor and should take place within 10 days.

TEL AVIV (AsiaNews) - Israel has signed an agreement with militant group Hezbollah for a prisoner exchange.

The deal was signed in the presence of a UN officer in acting in the capacity of guarantor and should take place within 10 days.

In the exchange Israel is set to free Lebanese (Hezbollah) prisoners while the militants should hand over two Israeli soldiers.

The soldiers were kidnapped by Hezbollah along the northern Israeli border in 2006. Their abduction sparked the second Lebanese war of 2006. Hezbollah has so far failed to reveal the condition of the two men - Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev (see. photo) - but it is believed that they are dead.

At least 200 of the Hezbollah prisoners due to be handed over are dead. Israeli soldiers began the process of exhuming the bodies yesterday.

Among those being handed over is Samir Qantar, who is currently serving life in prison for having killed a policeman, a man and his 4 year old daughter during a raid on the city of Nahariya in 1979.An exchange of information is also part of the deal.

Israel is waiting for information on the fate of Ron Arad, an Israeli pilot was plane was shot down as he flew over Lebanon in 1986. Israel in exchange should hand over information regarding the disappearance of 4 Iranian diplomats in 1982.

Iran maintains that the 4 were sequestered by Lebanese militants linked to Israel and then handed over to Israeli troops. Israel has consistently denied that it holds the 4 diplomats.