Hezbollah militants kidnapped Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev and killed three other Israeli soldiers in a July 2006 raid into northern Israel.

Goldwasser and Regev were believed to have been badly wounded in the attack, which sparked a 34-day war between Israel and Hezbollah militants in Lebanon.

Earlier this month, Israel deported a Lebanese-born man who had served six years in jail on charges of spying for Hezbollah.

In exchange, Hezbollah handed over a brown coffin containing the remains of Israeli soldiers killed during the 2006 war. The move was seen as a prelude to a possible prisoner swap between Israel and Hezbollah.

Hezbollah is most interested in the release of convicted killer Samir Kuntar, who is the longest-serving Lebanese prisoner in Israel.