Germany: We'll free prisoners for Arad

[bemildred]

More on the Hezbollah deal.

The German government has promised to free
two Lebanese and an Iranian currently serving
life sentences in Germany, and also to try to
persuade France and Switzerland to release
Lebanese prisoners they hold, in exchange for
the return of missing Israeli navigator Ron
Arad or his body.

The German pledge is included in the
prisoner exchange deal reached by Israel and
Hezbollah through German mediation.

The deal comprises two stages. In the first
stage, to take place on Thursday, Israel will
release 435 Arab prisoners - 400 Palestinians,
23 Lebanese and 12 nationals of other countries
- and one German, in exchange for the return of
businessman Elhanan Tennenbaum and the
bodies of three slain soldiers - Benny Avraham,
Adi Avitan and Omar Suwad.

The following day, Israel will also hand over
the bodies of 59 Lebanese buried in Israel, as
well as any information it has on 24 Lebanese
who have been missing since 1982 and maps of
mines laid by Israel in Lebanese territory.

Haaretz