Germany ‘mediating prisoner exchange in Lebanon’

28 July 2006

CAIRO – Negotiations to effect the exchange of two Israeli soldiers abducted to Lebanon have begun involving German mediators, the London-based Arab daily al-Hayat reported Friday.

Lebanese government sources were quoted as saying the efforts were still in the “initial phase”. At present, the focus was on “determining suitable conditions for a prisoner exchange.”

The abduction of the two soldiers by Hezbollah militia on July 12 triggered the Lebanon conflict.

German diplomats and representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) are involved in indirect mediation efforts to secure their release, the report said.

The conditions under which Hezbollah would be prepared to release the soldiers were not known, al-Hayat reported. Three Lebanese and more than 8,000 Palestinians are being held in Israeli prisons.

Germany has mediated the release of prisoners and hostages in the Middle East on several occasions.

In 2004, when head of the chancellor’s office, the present German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier was involved in the last prisoner exchange between Hezbollah and Israel.

DPA

Subject: German news