Post by Salem6 on Jan 29, 2004 7:15:03 GMT
Two aircraft have flown to Germany from the Middle East as part of an exchange of prisoners between Israel and the Lebanese guerrilla group, Hezbollah.
Israel will first make sure the remains are those of the soldiers
One of the planes left Beirut carrying an Israeli businessman and the remains of three Israeli soldiers.
The other left from Israel with a group of 30 Arabs and a German citizen, who were released from a Tel Aviv prison.
Under the deal, Israel will release more than 400 Arab prisoners and the remains of 59 Lebanese militants.
A German military plane carrying the Israelis, and an Israeli military plane carrying the mainly Lebanese prisoners, are both due to land at a German air base in Cologne.
GOING HOME
0600-700GMT: Planes carrying both sets of prisoners due in Germany
1100GMT: Palestinian prisoners to be released by Israel at West Bank checkpoints
1600GMT: Arrival of Mr Tannenbaum and the bodies of three Israeli soldiers at Tel Aviv airport
1800GMT: Ceremony at airport, to be attended by Ariel Sharon and cabinet
The prisoner exchange will only go ahead once an Israeli forensics team and army rabbis have verified the identity of the three dead Israelis. Until then, the men released in Tel Aviv will remain under Israeli control.
The soldiers - Adi Avitan, Benyamin Avraham and Omar Sawayed - were seized by Hezbollah guerrillas on the northern border with Lebanon in October 2000.
Hezbollah confirmed for the first time that the three soldiers were dead in a television broadcast on Wednesday night.
Businessman Elhanan Tannenbaum was captured in October 2000.
Bargaining chip
Two of the Lebanese prisoners being released in Germany are Hezbollah leaders Sheikh Abdel Karim Obeid and Mustafa Dirani, who were captured in 1989 and 1994 respectively.
Senior Hezbollah figure Sheik Abdel Karim Obeid is among the prisoners
The men were important hostages for Israel and have long been described as bargaining chips for information concerning the whereabouts of Ron Arad, the Israeli airman captured in Lebanon in 1986 after his plane was downed.
Also being released with them is a German man, Stefan Smyrnek, who was accused by Israel of supporting Hezbollah.
Israel has also promised to hand over the bodies of 59 Lebanese fighters at the border with Lebanon.
Meanwhile, hundreds of Palestinians are due to be set free by the Israelis at various checkpoints in the Gaza Strip and West Bank. Busloads of these prisoners have been seen leaving Israeli jails.
Israeli critics
Mr Sharon is expected to attend a ceremony for the three soldiers on the return of their bodies to Israel later on Thursday.
Hezbollah is preparing a reception in Beirut for Lebanese prisoners and the bodies of the 59 Lebanese fighters.
Israeli Elhanan Tannenbaum was captured in October 2000
The exchange deal has been criticised by some right-wing Israeli politicians, who have argued that it could strengthen Lebanese and Palestinian militants. Critics also worry that the deal will encourage kidnapping in the future.
The BBC's Matt Prodger in Jerusalem says the head of Hezbollah, Sheik Hassan Nasrallah, is being hailed a hero by some Palestinians for apparently achieving what three years of intifada, two successive prime ministers, and a stalled peace process could not.
Hezbollah claimed Mr Tannenbaum was an Israeli army colonel, working for the Israeli security agency Mossad.
Last October, Israel revealed that Mr Tannenbaum was a businessman who had run up huge gambling debts and who was lured to the United Arab Emirates by the prospects of a lucrative deal arranged by an Arab-Israeli with ties to Hezbollah.
BBC correspondent Kim Ghattas says he will not be greeted by any officials upon his return to Israel and is likely to face legal proceedings instead.
Israel will first make sure the remains are those of the soldiers
One of the planes left Beirut carrying an Israeli businessman and the remains of three Israeli soldiers.
The other left from Israel with a group of 30 Arabs and a German citizen, who were released from a Tel Aviv prison.
Under the deal, Israel will release more than 400 Arab prisoners and the remains of 59 Lebanese militants.
A German military plane carrying the Israelis, and an Israeli military plane carrying the mainly Lebanese prisoners, are both due to land at a German air base in Cologne.
GOING HOME
0600-700GMT: Planes carrying both sets of prisoners due in Germany
1100GMT: Palestinian prisoners to be released by Israel at West Bank checkpoints
1600GMT: Arrival of Mr Tannenbaum and the bodies of three Israeli soldiers at Tel Aviv airport
1800GMT: Ceremony at airport, to be attended by Ariel Sharon and cabinet
The prisoner exchange will only go ahead once an Israeli forensics team and army rabbis have verified the identity of the three dead Israelis. Until then, the men released in Tel Aviv will remain under Israeli control.
The soldiers - Adi Avitan, Benyamin Avraham and Omar Sawayed - were seized by Hezbollah guerrillas on the northern border with Lebanon in October 2000.
Hezbollah confirmed for the first time that the three soldiers were dead in a television broadcast on Wednesday night.
Businessman Elhanan Tannenbaum was captured in October 2000.
Bargaining chip
Two of the Lebanese prisoners being released in Germany are Hezbollah leaders Sheikh Abdel Karim Obeid and Mustafa Dirani, who were captured in 1989 and 1994 respectively.
Senior Hezbollah figure Sheik Abdel Karim Obeid is among the prisoners
The men were important hostages for Israel and have long been described as bargaining chips for information concerning the whereabouts of Ron Arad, the Israeli airman captured in Lebanon in 1986 after his plane was downed.
Also being released with them is a German man, Stefan Smyrnek, who was accused by Israel of supporting Hezbollah.
Israel has also promised to hand over the bodies of 59 Lebanese fighters at the border with Lebanon.
Meanwhile, hundreds of Palestinians are due to be set free by the Israelis at various checkpoints in the Gaza Strip and West Bank. Busloads of these prisoners have been seen leaving Israeli jails.
Israeli critics
Mr Sharon is expected to attend a ceremony for the three soldiers on the return of their bodies to Israel later on Thursday.
Hezbollah is preparing a reception in Beirut for Lebanese prisoners and the bodies of the 59 Lebanese fighters.
Israeli Elhanan Tannenbaum was captured in October 2000
The exchange deal has been criticised by some right-wing Israeli politicians, who have argued that it could strengthen Lebanese and Palestinian militants. Critics also worry that the deal will encourage kidnapping in the future.
The BBC's Matt Prodger in Jerusalem says the head of Hezbollah, Sheik Hassan Nasrallah, is being hailed a hero by some Palestinians for apparently achieving what three years of intifada, two successive prime ministers, and a stalled peace process could not.
Hezbollah claimed Mr Tannenbaum was an Israeli army colonel, working for the Israeli security agency Mossad.
Last October, Israel revealed that Mr Tannenbaum was a businessman who had run up huge gambling debts and who was lured to the United Arab Emirates by the prospects of a lucrative deal arranged by an Arab-Israeli with ties to Hezbollah.
BBC correspondent Kim Ghattas says he will not be greeted by any officials upon his return to Israel and is likely to face legal proceedings instead.