Israel is to hand over the corpses of three Hizbullah guerrillas killed in this week's border clashes to Lebanon.
Lebanese Health Minister Mohammed Jawad Khalife said: "They must be handed over in order to avoid an escalation."
Mr Khalife, whose Amal party is close to Hizbullah , told Voice of Lebanonradio: "It is known that the resistance will try to secure the return of the bodies one way or another, and this usually ends up in negotiations to trade them for the bodies of Israeli soldiers or for prisoners."
The Israeli military issued a statement saying Israel would transfer the bodies of the three guerrillas "following the formal request made by the Lebanese government." It said the handover would take place at the Naqoura border crossing this morning.
Prime Minister Fuad Saniora first made the demand during a visit to Qatar on Wednesday.
Four guerrillas were killed and 11 Israeli soldiers were wounded in Monday's fighting on the south Lebanon border. Israeli warplanes and artillery bombarded Hizbullah positions, and the guerrillas fired missiles at Israeli military outposts.
Israel killed three guerrillas who crossed the border, and a fourth wounded guerrilla was retrieved by his comrades and later died on the Lebanese side.
Lebanese security officials said the government had passed the request for the bodies to the UN peacekeeping force on the border, which mediates between the two states that are technically at war.