Israel willing to discuss Hizbollah prisoner swap

Israel is willing to discuss a possible release of Hizbollah prisoners in exchange for freeing two Israeli soldiers abducted by Lebanese guerrillas last month...

Israel is willing to discuss a possible release of Hizbollah prisoners in exchange for freeing two Israeli soldiers abducted by Lebanese guerrillas last month, the Haaretz newspaper reported on Sunday.

The report was published on the newspaper8217;s Web site as the Israeli cabinet met to approve a UN Security Council resolution calling for a cessation of the month-long conflict which is expected to go into effect on Monday.

Spokesmen for the Israeli government could not immediately be reached for comment.

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has said he will not negotiate to free the soldiers Hizbollah captured in a July 12 cross-border raid, but Israel has traded prisoners for its own captives in the past.

8216;8216;Israel has done, is doing and will do all it is able to do in order to effect the return home of the sons,8217;8217; Olmert told his cabinet at the outset of its weekly session on Sunday.

Israel Radio quoted Olmert as telling ministers he would name a senior official to deal with the issue and 8216;8216;a tremendous struggle is being waged to free them.8217;8217;

Haaretz said Israel would negotiate the release of the troops and that in exchange Israel would be ready to free several Lebanese prisoners and about 20 other Hizbollah men it has captured during its current offensive in Lebanon.

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Meanwhile, Arab countries criticised a UN Security Council resolution for not clearly labeling Israel the aggressor in the conflict with Hizbollah, but expressed cautious hopes that an end to the month-long conflict could be nearing.

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak was to meet on Sunday with the Foreign Minister of Iran8212;Hizbollah8217;s top ally8212;to stress that the region could not bear any more tension and push for the implementation of the UN resolution, a state-run Egyptian newspaper reported on Saturday. The meeting comes a day before the ceasefire is to take effect at 8 AM Beirut time on Monday.

8216;8216;The resolution is the best that can be achieved in the mean time under the unbalanced international equation,8217;8217; said Ahmed bin Heli, the Arab league8217;s Assistant Secretary-General.

Qatar, the only Arab League member on the 15-nation Security Council, voted in favour of the resolution, which passed unanimously on Friday.

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The plan calls for expanding the UN force in Lebanon and adding Lebanese soldiers to patrol a buffer zone between the Israeli military and Hizbollah. Lebanon8217;s Cabinet unanimously voted to accept the plan, and Israel accepted it on Sunday.