Brothers of policeman killed by Kuntar appeal court, again

      Lebanese daily 'al-Akhbar,' considered close to Hizbullah, reported on Tuesday that one of the two captive Israeli soldiers, Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev, was killed during the raid on their patrol convoy. The relatives of policeman Eliyahu Shahar, who was murdered by Lebanese terrorist Samir Kuntar during a cross-border raid on Nahariya in 1979, again petitioned the High Court of Justice on Tuesday morning against the imminent prisoner exchange deal, despite the court’s rejection of a similar plea last week. "Reliable sources have been unable to ascertain the condition of the second one," the paper said. With cabinet preparing for final vote on prisoner exchange deal with Hizbullah, relatives of slain police officer Eliyahu Shahar once again petition High Court in eleventh hour bid to prevent release of Samir Kuntar.The cabinet is expected to give its final authorization for the deal, which will go through on Wednesday. In their petition the Shahar brothers assert that they must be allowed to make their case before the cabinet ministers prior to the vote. If all believe captive soldiers Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev to be dead, the family says, it is inconceivable to exchange living prisoners for corpses. They also claim Hizbullah failed to fulfill its commitment to provide Israel with a comprehensive report regarding the fate of MIA navigator Ron Arad. Also party to the petition are bereaved parents of soldiers killed in the Second Lebanon War and the Almagor organization for victims of terror. "The release of terrorists simply is not justified under these circumstances, as there has been no sign of life from the captives. The government's working assumption is that they are no longer alive, and therefore freeing living terrorists for bodies isn't reasonable," the family said. Eliyahu's brother, Yoram Shahar said on Monday evening that "even if I can only delay the release by an hour – I'll do it." (11,26)