Soldier's father says son may soon be free

JERUSALEM, June 20 (UPI) -- Abducted Israeli soldier Eldad Regev may soon be freed as part of a nearly completed deal between Israel and Hezbollah, the trooper's father said Friday.

Tzvi Regev, after meeting with Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak, said Israel was close to an agreement with the militant group for the release of soldiers incarcerated since July 2005, Haaretz reported.

"We are on the threshold of a deal with Hezbollah and everything depends on the government," Regev said.

The father of detained Israeli soldier Ehud Goldwasser also attended the meeting. He said Barak was unable to confirm the condition of any of the abducted soldiers.

"We are working on the assumption that they were kidnapped alive," Goldwasser said.

Goldwasser said Barak did not specify what the government would be willing to give up for the soldiers' release, Haaretz said.

Ynetnews reported that Barak has been against releasing Samir Kuntar, a militant convicted of killing an Israeli family in 1979, in exchange for the troops if they are no longer alive.