This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/middle_east/6104520.stm
The article has changed 9 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 3 | Version 4 |
|---|---|
| Hezbollah confirms Israel talks | Hezbollah confirms Israel talks |
| (about 8 hours later) | |
| Hezbollah's leader has confirmed that indirect talks with Israel on a prisoner exchange are under way, describing them as "serious". | Hezbollah's leader has confirmed that indirect talks with Israel on a prisoner exchange are under way, describing them as "serious". |
| Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah said a United Nations mediator had been meeting officials from both sides, but he provided no further details. | Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah said a United Nations mediator had been meeting officials from both sides, but he provided no further details. |
| Hezbollah's capture of two Israeli soldiers in July, and killing of eight others, sparked 34 days of fighting. | |
| A UN-brokered truce ended the conflict, in which more than 1,200 people died. | A UN-brokered truce ended the conflict, in which more than 1,200 people died. |
| "They are serious negotiations... this issue is on track. We are moving ahead," Sheikh Nasrallah told Hezbollah's TV station. | "They are serious negotiations... this issue is on track. We are moving ahead," Sheikh Nasrallah told Hezbollah's TV station. |
| CONFLICT FACTS Fighting began on 12 JulyEnded 14 AugustIsraeli dead: 116 soldiers, 43 civiliansLebanese civilian dead: >1,000Hezbollah dead: unknown href="/1/hi/world/middle_east/5211930.stm" class="">Middle East prisoners href="/1/hi/world/middle_east/5262484.stm" class="">Quick guide: Hezbollah | |
| "We have reached a stage of exchanging ideas, proposals or conditions." | "We have reached a stage of exchanging ideas, proposals or conditions." |
| He refused to speculate on how long it could take to reach a deal, saying only it depended on "the nature of the negotiations". | He refused to speculate on how long it could take to reach a deal, saying only it depended on "the nature of the negotiations". |
| Israel has so far made no comment on the issue. | Israel has so far made no comment on the issue. |
| Last week, the pan-Arab daily al-Hayat reported that the negotiations had so far been unsuccessful, the BBC's Kim Ghattas in Beirut says. | Last week, the pan-Arab daily al-Hayat reported that the negotiations had so far been unsuccessful, the BBC's Kim Ghattas in Beirut says. |
| Hezbollah guerrillas captured the two Israeli soldiers, reservists Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev, in a cross-border raid into Israel on 12 July. | |
| The group has offered to exchange the two Israeli soldiers for Arab prisoners in Israel, but Israel has repeatedly refused. | The group has offered to exchange the two Israeli soldiers for Arab prisoners in Israel, but Israel has repeatedly refused. |
| The UN resolution that ended the fighting called for the soldiers' unconditional release. | The UN resolution that ended the fighting called for the soldiers' unconditional release. |
| UN Secretary General Kofi Annan then appointed an envoy to follow up the issue. | UN Secretary General Kofi Annan then appointed an envoy to follow up the issue. |
| When Hezbollah captured Israeli soldiers in 2000, it took four years before talks succeeded and the soldiers were swapped for some 400 Palestinian and 35 Lebanese prisoners, our correspondent says. | When Hezbollah captured Israeli soldiers in 2000, it took four years before talks succeeded and the soldiers were swapped for some 400 Palestinian and 35 Lebanese prisoners, our correspondent says. |