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Israel to free Palestinians in Hezbollah deal

JERUSALEM
Sun Aug 3, 2008 12:23pm EDT

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Israel's Prime Minister Ehud Olmert (C) arrives for the weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem August 3, 2008. REUTERS/Tara Todras-Whitehill/Pool

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel's cabinet on Sunday approved the release of five Palestinian prisoners as part of a swap deal with the Lebanese Hezbollah guerrilla group that brought the bodies of two Israeli soldiers home.

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Israel is expected to free the prisoners, none of whom were involved in deadly attacks against Israelis, in the coming weeks following a review period, Israeli officials said.

Israel freed five Lebanese prisoners and returned the bodies of nearly 200 Arab fighters last month as part of the deal with Hezbollah. The two Israelis were killed in a Hezbollah raid that triggered a 34-day long war in 2006.

(Writing by Ari Rabinovitch; Editing by Sami Aboudi)
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