The Jerusalem Post
Kidnapped IDF soldier Cpl. Gilad Shalit, who is being held in the Gaza Strip, will be released only if Israel agrees to free thousands of Palestinian prisoners, a senior Hamas official announced on Tuesday.
The announcement came as Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas held a closed meeting in Gaza City with PA Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh and urged him to release Shalit immediately. The two also discussed the possibility of establishing a national unity government.
Abbas, who arrived in the Gaza Strip on Monday, called on Hamas to release Shalit in return for promises that Israel would free Palestinian prisoners in the future. Abbas suggested that the soldier be handed over to the Egypt, which has been acting as a mediator ever since Shalit was kidnapped by Hamas last June. Egyptian mediators have been trying to persuade Hamas to soften its position, but to no avail.
“Israel must pay a heavy price for its soldier,” said Khalil al-Hayeh, head of Hamas’s parliamentary list. “We have rejected demands to release the soldier in return for promises that Israel would release our prisoners sometime in the future.”
Hayeh said Hamas was “disturbed” by pressure on the kidnappers to release Shalit unconditionally: “To all those who are exerting pressure on us, we say: Enough!” No Palestinian will ever agree to the release of the Israeli soldier without getting anything in return. They know what our conditions are and I don’t think that they are hard to fulfill.”
At the meeting, Abbas briefed Haniyeh on the outcome of his recent tour of Arab countries and discussed with him the prospects of forming a joint Fatah-Hamas government.
PA officials said after the meeting that there was still no room for optimism regarding the fate of Shalit. They pointed out that while Haniyeh appeared to be flexible on the issue, he clearly does not have influence on the kidnappers.
“Haniyeh wants to resolve the case by tomorrow,” one official told The Jerusalem Post. “His problem is that he has no control over the kidnappers and their patrons in Syria and Iran.”
For the rest of the article see The Jerusalem Post HERE
Isn’t it about time to glaze over Iran and Syria, make Lebanon and Gaza into glass bottomed lakes and set Israel and the rest of the world free? What the hell was the war about? Wasn’t it over the killing and abduction of Israeli soldiers and removing Hezbollah? The UN should mandate the return of those 3 soldiers. Hell Hezbollah will be back raiding Israel again in no time with UN assistance unless that liberal Ehud Olmert is dragging around something besides an empty sack.
It only goes to show you that even the Arabs know that one Israeli is worth more than 1,000 Arabs.
That’s interesting Jack on why the UN didn’t demand the release of those Israeli soldiers.
I agree Jack it won’t be long before all this starts again. No IDF soldiers returned in this cease fire deal and oh man this is such a mess that Olmert agreed to this. It makes me sick and angry.
Thanks Bob, I figure since the UN represents despots, terrorists and Communists it is going to force the release of the 600 Palestinian terrorists that Israel has in custody without any concern about the Israeli soldiers taken in an act of war. The Israeli people rallied their support but gotdam if Olmert isn’t their Jimmah Carter.
Olmert caved, and now Hamas and Hezbollah will do more of the same. Kidnap, play the victim, demand thousands of roaches released. Replace Olmert with Netanyahu, and then crush the roaches.
Olmert screwed the pooch when it comes to Hezbollah. Hezbollah lost nothing and gained everything in this war, even though Israel kicked their butts. Raz0r is right. They need a PM with some kohanas.
I agree razOr that is just what they need. Bibi would respect the IDF a lot more then Olmert does as an added good idea too.