The German mediator of the prisoners’ exchange between Israel and Hezbollah, Ernst Urlau, decided on a month freeze of activities in protest against numerous leaks to the media.
United Arab Emirates daily Al-Ittihad newspaper quoted Urlau, who returned to Germany, as saying that ‘mediation will only be resumed after the sides wholly refrain from leaking news to the media’
German diplomatic sources in Beirut told Al-Ittihad that the issue of Lebanese prisoner Samir Kuntar is likely to be solved by the end of July.
Kuntar is the only Lebanese prisoner left behind in the first swap deal. Israel conditioned his release with receiving information on the missing Israeli navigator Ron Arad.
Several reports have been published that Hezbollah found the body of Arad, who has been missing since 1982.
But, Israel reported that the bone fragment transferred by Hezbollah to Israel were not of Arad.
Meanwhile, the Jordainian Cabinet spokeswomen Asma Khader said Sunday that an official delegation will soon visit Israel to discuss the issue of Jordanian prisoners.
At the last minute of the first prisoners’ swap deal, Israel refrained from releasing Jordanian prisoners, claiming that it was upon the Jordanian government request.
Khader denied that the Jordanian government opposed any effort, coming from any party, which aims at releasing Jordanian prisoners.
In the first stage of the deal Israel handed over bodies of around 60 Lebanese and released more than 30 prisoners while Hezbollah handed over the bodies of three kidnapped soldiers and the Israeli businessman Elhanan Tennenbaum.
