JERUSALEM, April 27 (Xinhua) -- Israeli media named on Saturday the Syrian prisoners who would be released in return for an Israeli soldier's remains, identifying them as a Fatah activist and a drug dealer.
Hebrew-language Ynet news site identified the Syrian citizens as Ahmad Hamis, a 35-year-old Palestinian from the al-Yarmouk refugee camp in Damascus, and Zidan Tawil, a 57-year-old man from the village of Khader.
Hamis is an activist with the Fatah, the main branch of the Palestinian Liberation Organization, who was arrested in 2005 after crossing into Israel from Syria in the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights.
Israel's Haaretz newspaper reported that he attempted to infiltrate an Israeli military base in the Golan Heights in order to kidnap an Israeli soldier. The attack was planned to be a revenge for the killing of Khalil Ibrahim al-Wazir, also known as Abu Jihad, a co-founder of Fatah, who was assassinated by Israel in 1988.
Hamis has been imprisoned in Israel for the past 14 years and was expected to be released in 2023.
Tawil, imprisoned in Israel since July 2008, was part of a drug smuggling network, according to local Israeli media. He was convicted of trafficking drugs into Israel and was expected to be released in July.
An Israeli official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed to Xinhua that two Syrian nationals jailed in Israel would be released. However, the official denied the release is part of a swap deal, defining the move as a "goodwill gesture."
The official did not elaborate on the date of their release.
Russia's special envoy for Syria, Alexander Lavrentiev, told Russia's RT broadcaster earlier on Saturday that the expected release is the second stage of a Russian-brokered exchange deal. Under the deal, the remains of Zachary Baumel were returned to Israel some four weeks ago.
Baumel went missing along with two of his fellow tank mates in a battle known as "the Battle of Sultan Yacoub" during Israel's invasion to Lebanon in 1982.
Baumel's remains were found in a cemetery in Syria.
His return was brokered by Russia, a key ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
