Report: Olmert may declare Regev, Goldwasser dead

[oberliner]

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is considering the option of making a public declaration that abducted IDF soldiers Eldad Regev and Ehud Goldwasser are dead, German weekly Der Spiegel reported.

According to the report, Israeli officials have reached the conclusion that the two reserve soldiers, abducted by Hizbullah about a year and a half ago, are no longer alive. However, a senior political official in Jerusalem said that "as long as there is no unequivocal information regarding their condition, Israel will engage in negotiations based on the assumption they are alive."

PM Olmert was in Germany earlier this week and met with Chancellor Angela Merkel. Among other issues, the two leaders discussed negotiation efforts with Hizbullah over the issue mediated by Germany.

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3507410,00.html