Sharon says prisoner swap needs cabinet nod

A Palestinian woman passes in front of her demolished home, one of 21 houses destroyed by the Israeli army, 18 partially and three completely, in the early hours of yesterday in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip. Also a 16-year-old Palestinian youth was killed as Israeli forces came under heavy fire during their operation in the area, witnesses and Palestinian medical sources said. At least 11 other people were injured, five seriously, during the operation around the Rafah refugee camp near the border with Egypt. Photo: AFP

"I intend to put approval of the prisoner exchange deal, if we reach an agreement, before the entire cabinet plenum for it to decide," Sharon said in an interview, extracts of which were published Wednesday.

"This is a complex problem of the first order, an issue that is not simple, and a very difficult decision on a moral level. Therefore, in my opinion it should be brought before the entire cabinet... Let there not be one minister who is not part of the discussion," Sharon told Maariv newspaper.

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Sharon confirmed that the long-awaited deal was near but warned it was anything but wrapped up. "We are closer than before, but it is still far from being finished," he said.

Palestinian newspapers reported Tuesday that Israel would release 400 Arab prisoners as part of the deal, around 185 of them Lebanese, Syrian and Jordanian while the rest would be Palestinian.

In October 2000, Hezbollah captured three Israeli soldiers -- whom Israel believes are dead -- in a disputed border area. They also seized businessman Elhanan Tannenbaum, a reserve colonel who the guerrilla group alleges was a spy.

Sharon denied reports by Arab sources that Barghuti, a firebrand of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's Fatah faction currently being tried by Israel on 26 counts of murder, could be released.

"Barghuti cannot be a condition for this deal. Barghuti is responsible for acts of murder, and he is going to prison," the premier said.

The 44-year-old Palestinian legislator, considered to be the inspiration behind the intifada, is Israel's highest-profile Palestinian prisoner and was seen by many as a possible successor to Arafat.

Defence Minister Shaul Mofaz and other Israeli officials have also ruled out the release of Barghuti, whom Israel accuses of founding and heading Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, a radical offshoot of Fatah responsible for scores of deadly anti-Israeli attacks.

As part of the exchange, Israel would free Hezbollah leaders Abdel Karim Obeid and Mustafa Dirani, who were captured to be used as bargaining chips for the release of Israeli pilot Ron Arad.

"Dirani and Obeid did not bring any results. We have additional tools, not here with us, but they exist," Sharon told Maariv without elaborating.

However Sharon said it was not known whether Arad, captured back in 1986, was still alive.

He said that Tannenbaum was alive but insisted if the others were dead, preliminary DNA tests would be demanded before their bodies are handed over as part of a deal.