Lebanon demands prisoner swap for Israel soldiers

CAIRO, Sep 6 (Reuters) Two Israeli soldiers captured by the Hizbollah guerrilla group will not be released unless there are talks with Israel about the exchange of Lebanese prisoners, Lebanon's Foreign Minister said today.

''Neither of the two Israeli soldiers will be released unless there are negotiations over the exchange of Lebanese and Israeli prisoners,'' Lebanese Foreign Minister Fawzi Salloukh told reporters at an Arab foreign ministers' meeting in Cairo.

Hizbollah's capture of the two soldiers in a cross-border raid in July preceded Israeli air and ground attacks in a war that lasted 34 days.

At the meeting, Salloukh said earlier Lebanon would break an Israeli air and sea blockade if Israel did not lift it within 48 hours. He did not say how Lebanon would break the blockade.

Israel later announced that it would lift the blockade at 2030 hrs ist tomorrow, handing over control to international forces.

REUTERS SBA KP2315