Israel approves prisoner swap deal with Hezbollah

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Source: CCTV.com | 06-30-2008 11:30

Israel's cabinet has approved a prisoner swap deal with the Lebanese movement Hezbollah. Under the deal, the bodies of two Israeli soldiers captured by Hezbollah two years ago will be returned and five Lebanese militants will also be freed.

Israelis hold banners of captured Israeli soldiers Ehud  Goldwasser,right, Gilad Schalit,left, and Eldad Regev  outside the cabinet meeting in the Israeli Prime Minister's  office in Jerusalem Sunday, June 29, 2008.(AP Photo/Dan Balilty)

Israeli cabinet ministers voted 22-to-3 to approve the deal at the end of a cabinet meeting on Sunday.

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert urged the cabinet to legalize the proposal to exchange Lebanese prisoners with Israeli reservists Eldad Regev and Ehud Goldwasser. Their capture two years ago sparked a month-long war between Israel and Hezbollah.

Olmert declared the two captives to be dead earlier in the day, the first official confirmation of their deaths.

The Germany-mediated deal will also see Israel free five Lebanese militants, including Samir Kuntar, the longest-held Lebanese prisoner in Israel. He has been serving four life sentences in Israel since 1979.

Yuli Tamir, Education Minister, said, "The decision is to go ahead with the agreement to exchange the soldiers with Samir Qantar that is held in the Israeli prison and a few other prisoners. It wasn't an easy decision, Samir Qantar is a very cruel murderer - he murdered a whole family two little children and a father. Nevertheless, we have the responsibility to bring our soldiers back home."