Premier Yitzhak Shamir reiterated that Israel will not release Arab prisoners in exchange for hostages held by extremist groups in Lebanon.
In a Voice of Israel Radio interview Monday, Shamir rejected a demand that 400 jailed terrorists be freed to save the lives of three American and one Indian university professors kidnapped last month in west Beirut.
Shamir identified the kidnappers as Hezbullah, a pro-Iranian Shiite group. But most foreign media reports say the kidnappers are a hitherto unknown group which calls itself the Islamic Holy War for the Liberation of Palestine.
It has threatened to Kill the hostages unless Israel releases its prisoners within one week. Defense Minister Yitzhak Rabin said Sunday that Israel has received no ultimatum from any group. He said he learned of the threat from the media.
Shamir said, meanwhile, that Israel is looking into ways to free two Israeli infantry soldiers and an Israel Air Force navigator being held prisoner in Lebanon. Their captors are believed to be Amal, the mainstream Shiite militia.
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