By Xinhua,
Beirut : Shiite militant group Hezbollah delivered a report to Israel saying that Israeli airman Ron Arad, reported missing in Lebanon since 1986, has been dead for more than 10 years, local Naharnet website reported Saturday.
In the report, Hezbollah elaborated its endeavors to locate Arad, saying the group failed to find him but believed he has been dead for more than a decade.
Israel has demanded, as a part of the swap deal with Hezbollah, that the Lebanese group give a report on the fate of Arad.
A UN-sponsored deal was reached between Israel and Hezbollah toswap prisoners and remains of dead fighters between the two sides.
As part of the deal, Israel also delivered a report on the fate of four Iranians who disappeared in 1982 during the Israeli invasion of Lebanon. The report said they were killed by Christian militia and that it is not clear where their remains are.
However, the Iranian embassy in Lebanon said Thursday that the four Iranians are still alive and being held in Israel.
A prisoner’s swap between Israel and Hezbollah is expected to take place in about 10 days.