By Laura Zuber
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

LONDON, England – A London-based Arabic newspaper, Asharq al-Awsat, reported that two Israeli soldiers, Ehud Goldwasser, 31, and Eldad Regev, 26, were transported from Lebanon to Iran, in anticipation of their possible release.  Goldwasser and Regev were captured in July 2006, by Hezbollah.

Asharq al-Awsat reports that a high ranking Iranian official said that the two Israelis were transported to a country outside of Lebanon and then to Iran by a special unit of the Revolutionary Guard.  The source claimed that the release of the soldiers could be part of a prisoner-swap brokered by Germany.  In exchange for the release of Goldwasser and Regev, Germany may release an Iranian intelligence agent, Kazem Darabi, who is in prison for the murder of four Kurdish dissents in 1992.  The source said that negotiations were being conducted by the UN and Germany.

Senior officials in the Prime Minister’s Office categorically denied the report, labeling it “juicy nonsense” and Iranian “misinformation.”  The families of the captured soldiers also expressed skepticism regarding the reports.  The family of Goldwasser added that regardless of the location of the soldiers, that Israel would continue their efforts in securing their release.

Israel also denies the claim that it believes that Goldwasser and Regev died during the attack.  Instead, it reaffirmed a report released in December 2006.  In the December report, the Israeli Defense Force found evidence showing that the two were injured during the attack, one critically, but that both were alive when they were captured.

The Asharq al-Awsat report does not mention a third captured Israeli soldier, Gilad Shalit, whose continued captivity is highly publicized.

For more information, please see:

Telegraph – Captured soldiers “in Iran” – 15 October 2007

Ashaq al-Awsat – Israeli soldiers abducted by Hezbollah in Iran – Source – 14 October 2007

Jerusalem Post – Israel: Goldwasser, Regev not in Iran – 14 October 2007

Middle East Times – Captive Israeli held in Iran says report – 14 October 2007

Yedioth – Report: Israeli captives transferred to Iran – 14 October 2007

Ha’aretz – Israel denies it believes troops captured by Hezbollah are dead – 11 October 2007