The leader of Lebanon's Hezbollah militant group has said it will hand over two captured Israeli soldiers in exchange for five Lebanese prisoners.

Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah also said the group would provide information on missing Israeli airman Ron Arad.

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has said he believes the two soldiers are dead. Hezbollah has not confirmed that.

Their capture triggered Israel's 2006 offensive against Hezbollah. Israeli ministers approved the swap on Sunday.

Cross-border raid

Mr Nasrallah said he expected the exchange to be completed within one to two weeks.

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Reports say Samir Qantar, who has been in jail since 1979 for his part in a deadly guerrilla raid, will be among the Lebanese prisoners released by Israel.

Israeli soldiers Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev were seized in a cross-border raid into Israel, triggering a 34-day war between Israel and the Hezbollah movement.

Another Israeli soldier, Gilad Shalit, remains a prisoner of the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas.

He was seized in June 2006 during a raid on an Israeli army position on the edge of the Gaza Strip. Hamas has said it would consider releasing him as part of a prisoner exchange.

(BBC)

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