By KUNA,
Gaza : The Israeli government meets on Tuesday to vote on the prisoner-swap deal with Hezbollah scheduled for Wednesday.
The Israeli radio reported that this is a “closed door” meeting, and predicted the vote would result in a majority approval of the swap.
“Ministers would most probably approve the deal despite dissatisfaction with Hezbollah’s report on the fate of pilot Ron Arad, who went missing in Lebanon 22 years ago,” the radio added.
Israeli media asserted yesterday that the said report suggested Arad was no longer alive, and that Hezbollah has no information on this issue.
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert had asserted to the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon during their meeting in Paris yesterday that the Hezbollah report on the missing Israeli pilot is neither accurate nor satisfactory.
Olmert also expressed disappointment that Security Council resolution 1701 was not implemented, stressing it was important UNIFEL forces in the area prevent the smuggling of weapons to Hezbollah.
He also thanked Ki-moon for the efforts of the German mediator, a UN envoy, which helped reach the prisoner-swap deal.
After the swap, “the Israeli Cabinet will request that President Peres grant Lebanese prisoners a pardon, as agreed,” the radio said.
The Red Crescent will meet with the Lebanese prisoners in Israeli prisons today, to make sure that they want to return to Lebanon. Some 10 trucks are also to be sent to Israel from Jordan to transport corpses of Lebanese citizens previously held by or buried in Israel.
The prisoner-swap will take place at Ras Al-Naqoura Crossing, along the Israeli-Lebanese borders.