Israelis prepare for Hezbollah prisoner swap

ISRAELI soldiers yesterday began digging up 59 bodies of Lebanese militants buried in a small plot in northern Israel, a first step toward a prisoner swap with the Hezbollah guerrilla group take place this week

Ultra-Orthodox soldiers wearing skullcaps removed numbered metal grave markers from each burial site before removing bodies. The fenced-in plot overlooking the pastoral hills of Galilee has been a cemetery for Lebanese killed in clashes with Israelis.

Israel will hand over the bodies and also release 436 prisoners 400 Palestinians, 35 from Arab countries and a German convicted of spying for Hezbollah. In exchange, Hezbollah will hand over an Israeli businessman and the bodies of three soldiers captured by the Shiite group in 2000. Part of the swap is to take place in Germany.

Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah shook up the families of the three soldiers yesterday when smiling broadly he refused to say in Beirut whether the soldiers were dead or alive. Efrat Avraham, the sister of soldier Benny, said: "I don't let this evil man disturb my peace. I knew when he said that ... I knew he was playing this game ... and he says let's torture these families for a few more days."

The prisoner swap was announced after nearly four years of German-mediated negotiations. Following Thursday's exchange, the sides will open a second round of talks to obtain information on missing Israeli airman Ron Arad, who was shot down over Lebanon in 1986. Israel has said that if it receives detailed information on Arad's fate, it will release Lebanese militant Samir Kantar, held in an Israeli jail since 1979 for killing three Israelis.

Chen Arad, the airman's brother, said if it becomes apparent that Arad is dead, his family does not want the body back if it means releasing more prisoners convicted of killing Israelis.