The pending prisoner exchange between Hizbullah and Israel will probably take place on October 6, according to the Beirut-based al-Mustaqbal daily.
On Wednesday, the paper also reported that Hizbullah is in contact with Palestinian groups to compile a list of Palestinian prisoners the groups would like to see Israel release.
According to Israel's Army Radio, the details of the deal have already been worked out and Israel is now waiting for Hizbullah to approve the agreement. The sources, however, stressed that there is as yet no written agreement between the two sides.
Meanwhile, the family of missing Israeli Air Force navigator Ron Arad has filed a petition against Mustafa Dirani, demanding NIS 100 million (some US$25 million) in compensation from the man who reportedly held Ron Arad for at least two years, Israel media reported.
The family is suing Dirani for damages resulting from the
"shocking and inhumane" acts to which Arad was subjected, including "assault, wrongful imprisonment and being transferred to Iran", according to press reports. The family further claims that Dirani thus thwarted efforts to free Arad and is demanding NIS 100 million in damages.
Arad has been missing for the last 17 years, when his aircraft went down over southern Lebanon.
The petition states that Dirani, whom Israel kidnapped in 1994, was involved in snatching Arad from the Amal group in 1987 and sold him to Iranian agents. The family claims that Dirani also let Syrian and Russian agents to question Arad and abuse him.
The family says that this marks the first step in its campaign to keep Dirani in Israel and prevent him from being included in any prisoner swap deal with Hizbullah. (Albawaba.com)
© 2003 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
