First Contacts Between Israel And Hizbullah
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Courtesy of: YNetNews.com
By Roee Nahmias
07.28.06

First contacts were made between Israel and Hizbullah via German mediators and the Red Cross, it was reported Friday in the London-based Pan-Arab Newspaper Al-Hayat.

According to the report the contacts took place Wednesday and were intended to set the stage for a prisoner exchange as part of the comprehensive solution sought between the sides to end the fighting in Lebanon.

Lebanese sources reported that the contacts were still at initial stages and that they were being carried out indirectly.

The report noted that as yet the talks did not include details of an agreement but rather addressed general principles on which to base a successful agreement.

...The mediators attempted to gain information on the welfare of the hostages, but failed to do so as Hizbullah refused to share any grain of information until negotiations progressed towards a final solution.

The mediators explained that Hizbullah viewed everything, incuding information, had a price which Israel must pay to prove the sincerity of its intentions.

...The report added that according to a Lebanese source, it was still too early to talk about Hizbullah's specific demands regarding a prisoner exchange, especially on whether they would stipulate the release of Palestinian prisoners in addition to Lebanese prisoners.


Source:
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3282638,00.html