Hizbollah said in remarks published today that Israel must free one of its Arab prisoners if it wants to revive talks on a possible swap for three Israeli soldiers held by the guerrilla movement.
Speaking to the As-Safirdaily, Hizbollah head Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah said he had made the demand through German negotiators who have been trying to help broker a prisoner exchange.
Hizbollah wants to include Israel's Lebanese and Palestinian captives in any deal.
"We have told the go-between that he must put forth practical evidence of Israeli readiness to pursue this issue, and we consider that possible through the release of one of the prisoners, who suffers from a serious health crisis," the paper quoted him as saying.
The captive Hizbollah believes to be unwell and wants freed was not identified by name.
Hizbollah snatched three Israeli soldiers in the disputed Shebaa Farms border zone in October 2000, and offered to trade them for the Jewish state's Arab prisoners. It also says Israel has agreed to include Palestinian prisoners in any swap.
Israel believes the three soldiers are dead, and Hizbollah refuses to reveal any information about them or a fourth Israeli whom it abducted several weeks later under disputed circumstances and whom it claims is an Israeli spy.