Israel today released the names of prisoners to be freed in a swap with Lebanese Hezbollah guerrillas, after soldiers started exhuming the bodies of Lebanese fighters to be returned as part of the deal.

Israel and Hezbollah have agreed to a two-stage prisoner exchange, it was announced today.

Hezbollah’s leader today pledged to bring home all prisoners held by Israel and said he expected to hear from a German mediator in the next three days on the proposed swap of prisoners and bodies with the Jewish state.

ISRAEL’S Cabinet yesterday narrowly approved a contested prisoner swap with Hezbollah, even though it does not include a Israel’s most famous missing serviceman, an air force navigator captured 17 years ago.

Israel’s Cabinet today narrowly approved a contested prisoner swap with Hezbollah, even though it does not include a Israel’s most famous missing serviceman, an air force navigator captured 17 years ago.

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is to ask his Cabinet to approve an emerging deal to swap prisoners with Hezbollah guerrillas in Lebanon, signalling that months of negotiations could be coming to an end.

REBUFFING the incoming Palestinian Prime Minister, the leader of Hamas said yesterday the militant group will not disarm, agree to a truce or join the new Palestinian government.

A large-scale swap of prisoners with Lebanese guerrillas is closer than ever, Israeli premier Ariel Sharon said today.

Israel has agreed in principle to release about 400 Arab prisoners, including at least 200 Palestinians, in a swap with the Lebanese guerrilla group Hezbollah, a Palestinian source said today.