"Israel" Ready to Free Detainees Hamas Asks for Shalit"
Source: Al-Manar TV, 16-10-2008
"Israel" will become much more flexible in regards to the list of detainees Hamas wants freed, a source involved in the negotiations for the release of captured soldier Gilad Shalit said on Thursday. According to the source, several days after a visit to Cairo by "Israeli" War Ministry official Amos Gilad, the "Israeli" side gave the impression that it plans to exercise flexibility over the detainees' list and that the bone of contention between Hamas and "Israel" will eventually revolve around a small number of names included in the list.
Meanwhile, a senior Palestinian source told the Saudi newspaper Okaz that Amos Gilad expressed "Israel's" willingness to release all the detainees on the lists submitted by Hamas.
According to the source, the goal of the "Israeli" delegation to Egypt was to ensure that Hamas and the rest of the Palestinian factions holding Shalit have not toughened their conditions for the negotiations.
The official involved in the negotiations said that the fact that Gilad will likely also be in charge of the Shalit negotiations - in addition to the truce issues and matters related to Hamas and the Gaza Strip - will help advance things, as Hamas wants the Shalit issue solved as part of all of its demands in regards to the Strip.
The source estimated that Hamas members and other organization members who carried out attacks and were sentenced to long prison terms, including some who received consecutive life terms, will be freed as part of the deal.
"The "Israeli" side made an important move in approving half of the list of prisoners demanded by Hamas, but the "Israelis" understand that this is not enough," said the officials.
"If they wish to see Shalit released, the list must be much more generous," he added.
"One of the formulas being considered is increasing the number of prisoners in exchange for Hamas conceding prisoners which will be vetoed by "Israel". We are talking about an extremely limited number of names," the source said.
"Israel" will become much more flexible in regards to the list of detainees Hamas wants freed, a source involved in the negotiations for the release of captured soldier Gilad Shalit said on Thursday. According to the source, several days after a visit to Cairo by "Israeli" War Ministry official Amos Gilad, the "Israeli" side gave the impression that it plans to exercise flexibility over the detainees' list and that the bone of contention between Hamas and "Israel" will eventually revolve around a small number of names included in the list.
Meanwhile, a senior Palestinian source told the Saudi newspaper Okaz that Amos Gilad expressed "Israel's" willingness to release all the detainees on the lists submitted by Hamas.
According to the source, the goal of the "Israeli" delegation to Egypt was to ensure that Hamas and the rest of the Palestinian factions holding Shalit have not toughened their conditions for the negotiations.
The official involved in the negotiations said that the fact that Gilad will likely also be in charge of the Shalit negotiations - in addition to the truce issues and matters related to Hamas and the Gaza Strip - will help advance things, as Hamas wants the Shalit issue solved as part of all of its demands in regards to the Strip.
The source estimated that Hamas members and other organization members who carried out attacks and were sentenced to long prison terms, including some who received consecutive life terms, will be freed as part of the deal.
"The "Israeli" side made an important move in approving half of the list of prisoners demanded by Hamas, but the "Israelis" understand that this is not enough," said the officials.
"If they wish to see Shalit released, the list must be much more generous," he added.
"One of the formulas being considered is increasing the number of prisoners in exchange for Hamas conceding prisoners which will be vetoed by "Israel". We are talking about an extremely limited number of names," the source said.
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