Kuntar's brother: Deal expected within 30 days
(Video) Brother of Lebanese prisoner, who murdered four members of Nahariya family, says he has been updated on progress made in talks on prisoner exchange deal, which will take place within one month. Israeli officials say ball is in Hizbullah's court
VIDEO - Bassam Kuntar, the brother of murderer Samir Kuntar, told the German DPA news agency on Monday that the Lebanese prisoners' families have been updated on "positive outcomes expected within 30 days in regards to my brother and the rest of the prisoners held by Israel."
Video courtesy of infolive.tv
A Western diplomatic source involved in the talks on a prisoner swap deal told the news agency, "All that can be said is that the German mediator managed to remove some of the obstacles and make some progress in the deal."
As the talks on a materializing deal continue, additional details on the indirect talks between Israel and Hizbullah are becoming clear.
Ofer Dekel, the former Shin Bet deputy chief appointed by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to oversee the return of the kidnapped Israel Defense Forces soldiers met with over the past few months with the German mediator Gerhard Konrad in a bid to finalize a deal for a prisoner and hostage exchange with Hizbullah. Most of the meetings were held in Europe.
The latest dramatic development in the talks took place about two weeks ago, when Hizbullah received from Konrad what was defined as Israel "last offer": In exchange for the release of kidnapped soldiers Eldad Regev and Ehud Goldwasser, the Jewish state will only release Lebanese prisoners and will return the bodies of Hizbullah men buried in Israel.
The message related by Israel was clear: The ball is now in Hizbullah's court.
Reuters' correspondent in Beirut reported that the German mediator held talks with official Hizbullah representatives last week, which led to a breakthrough in the negotiations.
During the negotiations mediated by Konrad, Hizbullah demanded the release of thousands of Palestinian prisoners, in a bid to strengthen the organization's stance in the region as a fighter for Palestinian rights.
Israel rejected the demand for the same reasons, fearing that Hizbullah's status in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, and in the Arab world in general, would be strengthened. The Jewish state clarified that if Hizbullah won't soften its stance, the negotiations would reach a deadlock.
No sign of life since kidnapping
Israel has not received any sign of life from the two reserve soldiers since they were kidnapped in July 2006.
In October 2007, as part of the negotiations, Israel received the body of Gabriel Dwait who drowned in the Mediterranean Sea two years earlier as well as a letter written by missing navigator Ron Arad. In return, the Jewish state released a Hizbullah man and returned the bodies of two organization members.
Israel currently holds four Hizbullah fighters it captured during the Second Lebanon War, as well as Samir Kuntar, a Lebanese Druze who murdered four members of the Haran family in 1979 on behalf of the Palestinian Liberation Front.
In addition, the bodies of 10 Hizbullah fighters killed in clashes with IDF soldiers in Lebanon are buried in Israel.
Jerusalem is currently waiting for Hizbullah's answer to the offer, but the expectations for an upcoming deal are not high. "It can take a long time," said an Israeli source involved in the details of the negotiations.
Eldad Regev and Ehud Goldwasser were kidnapped to Lebanon 684 days ago.
