Prisoner swap huge failure for Israel

The Lebanese PM designate, Fuad Siniora, has hailed Hezbollah's national victory on prisoner swap and called it a 'huge failure' for Israel.

"The release of the prisoners thanks to the German mediator... is a huge failure for the policies of Israel," a statement from Siniora's office said on Tuesday.

"Hezbollah's victory is a national success scored by the party as well as a success of the nation, because it secured national goals that Israel had long refused to respect," the statement added.

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert won his cabinet's approval for a prisoner swap with Hezbollah on Sunday.

Hezbollah captured two Israeli soldiers, Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev, near Lebanon's border in July 2006.

Olmert ruled out any negotiations to release the prisoners and ordered an all-out war against the country that left thousands of Lebanese dead and scores more homeless.

The Hezbollah's resistance against Israel in the 33-day war shattered the vision of invincibility of the Israeli army.

In exchange for the two soldiers, Israel would release five Hezbollah members and at a later stage an undisclosed number of Palestinian prisoners.

The reports have said the swap could go ahead in two weeks.