Israel transferred four Hezbollah terrorists in preparation for a prisoner swap.
Israel’s Prisons Service on Monday transferred the inmates from a prison in the south of the country to the central Israel prison where Samir Kuntar is located. The five terrorists will remain jailed until Wednesday’s prisoner swap. Once kidnapped soldiers Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev are transferred to Israel, the jailed terrorists will be released to Lebanon.
Israel’s Cabinet will vote Tuesday to formally approve the swap.
Israeli officials say they are concerned that Hezbollah may try to attack the northern border after the completion of the prisoner swap, including attempting to kidnap soldiers.
Meanwhile, an Arab newspaper reported Monday that Israel has backtracked on its promises of a Palestinian prisoner exchange for kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit, who was ambushed by Hamas terrorists and taken to Gaza two years ago.
London’s Al-Sharq al-Awsat newspaper said Israel will not release Palestinian prisoners who killed soldiers or civilians, and has refused to release all female prisoners, conditions to which it had previously agreed.
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