A prisoner deal between Israel and Hizbollah is a “matter of days” away, according to Israeli officials, as the families of the captured israeli soldiers cling to hope they might still be alive.
In the deal, Israel will transfer to Lebanon convicted murderer Samir Kuntar and four Hizbollah members. Israel will receive its two soldiers, Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev, who were captured two years ago. The unofficial assumption in Israel is that the soldiers are dead.
Israeli sources confirm that the German-brokered deal with Hizbollah will be finalised in a “matter of days”.
An IDF examination of the scene of the soldiers’ abduction concluded that they had been critically injured in the attack and the German intermediaries have also said they believe the two are not alive. Despite this, the IDF does not normally acknowledge its soldiers are dead in the absence of clear evidence.
