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Abducted IDF soldier Gilad Shalit (Archives)
Last update - 08:36 18/07/2008
Shalit talks deadlocked as Hamas hangs on to 'asset'
By Amos Harel and Barak Ravid, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: Gilad Shalit, Gaza Strip 

Israel and Hamas have not yet agreed to renew negotiations over the release of kidnapped Israel Defense Forces soldier Gilad Shalit, despite the completion of the Hezbollah prisoner swap and the relative quiet on the southern front that were supposed to advance talks on a swap with Hamas.

Hamas seems now to be refusing to back down from the list of hundreds of prisoners whose release it demands. However, Israel has only approved 71 names on the list.

Israeli negotiator Ofer Dekel proposed in June to Egyptian mediator General Omar Suleiman to begin intensive talks over Shalit's release, and for the Egyptians to act as intermediaries between Hamas and Israel.
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The idea was to renew negotiations immediately after the Hezbollah deal went through, taking advantage of the lull in hostilities in the Gaza Strip.

Hamas has not sent a high-level delegation to Cairo for talks with Suleiman, saying it is still conducting internal discussions.

A senior official said Thursday Israel believes Hamas wants to continue to hold Shalit as an asset securing their rule in Gaza.

Because of Hamas' refusal to send its delegation to Cairo, the first round of talks with Dekel has been postponed.

No cabinet discussions of a Shalit deal are currently scheduled, although a number of ministers, including Ami Ayalon and Avi Dichter, have demanded that efforts toward his release be expanded. Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh and other leaders have said they will not lower their demands.

The Hamas list includes dozens of murderers serving consecutive life sentences for involvement in bus bombings in the early 1990s and in major suicide bombings during the second intifada.

Government ministers have told Haaretz recently they believe there will be no deal without the release of murderers of Israelis. What Hezbollah received from Israel, they say, is pithy compared to Hamas' demands. They conceded that in light of the present political crisis, the cabinet will have difficulty approving a deal with Hamas, which includes the release of murderers.

In discussions held recently on a Shalit deal, Defense Minister Ehud Barak and Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi reportedly supported "significant concessions" to push through a deal for Shalit's release.

Shin Bet security service head Yuval Diskin has said recently he would agree to release prisoners "with blood on their hands" as long as they were limited to those who were not dangerous and would be confined to Gaza, even if they were from the West Bank.

Hamas has already rejected the idea of sending West Bank prisoners to Gaza.

However Diskin continues to oppose the release of a large number of murderers, as do many senior security officials.

Barak said yesterday at the funerals of IDF reservists Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev: "This is the time and place to say to the family of Gilad Shalit that we will not let up in our efforts to bring Gilad home alive as soon as possible."

Ashkenazi said at a ceremony welcoming a new IDF human resources chief that he "says a prayer that the day is not far when we will manage to bring home Major Ron Arad, and 1st Sgt. Maj. Gilad Shalit and the rest of the IDF's missing and captive soldiers."

Related articles:
  • Gilad Shalit now
  • Noam Shalit: Don't free Palestinians while my son still held in Gaza
  • Hamas: Shalit deal progress to be kept secret, away from media
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      1.   israel needs to set up a deal for shalit 02:34  |  colin 18/07/08
      2.   HERES A PLAN FOR THE SHALIT CASE!!!!! 02:59  |  MOE 18/07/08
      3.   Let my people go! 03:10  |  Pepe 18/07/08
      4.   Here Is A Better Deal 03:17  |  Lawrence 18/07/08
      5.   Just don`t understand the priorities 03:26  |  Aphemia 18/07/08
      6.   Moe#1: But you debase the value of Palestinian lives 04:06  |  Avi 18/07/08
      7.   Here a better plan for Hammas! 04:19  |  Joe 18/07/08
      8.   1 of ours is worth hundreds of theirs 04:50  |  judith 18/07/08
      9.   HERES A BETTER PLAN 04:56  |  realist 18/07/08
      10.   Moe, #2...you have no problem with.... 04:57  |  DR 18/07/08
      11.   what does loggerheads mean 05:33  |  sam 18/07/08
      12.   Shalit is not a criminal or murderer 05:42  |  jewish doctor 18/07/08
      13.   Incomprehensible 06:12  |  Baz Mann 18/07/08
      14.   Let`s make a deal 06:48  |  * BEN JABO 18/07/08
      15.   #2 Moe 06:57  |  Marc 18/07/08
      16.   NO FOOD,FUEL, ELECTRICITY TILL SHALITS RELEASE 06:58  |  Jorge 18/07/08
      17.   "blood on their hands" 07:09  |  Sam 18/07/08
      18.   Israel needs to introduce the death penalty 07:12  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 18/07/08
      19.   Moe: HERES A PLAN FOR THE SHALIT CASE!!!!! 07:14  |  mariapalestina 18/07/08
      20.   got the dead ones, instead of the live one? 07:24  |  Pablo B 18/07/08
      21.   Hamas isn`t Sure 07:29  |  Mark of Lewiston 18/07/08
      22.   Israel has destroyed all its deterence 07:35  |  Jon 18/07/08
      23.   Moe (ie. Mohamed) Sounds like NYC cab driver trying to hide 07:38  |  noteperson 18/07/08
      24.   Moe (ie. Mohamed) Sounds like NYC cab driver trying to hide 07:41  |  noteperson 18/07/08
      25.   #4 JABO justifies killing civilians to free prisoners 07:42  |  Pablo B 18/07/08
      26.   Liberating the kidnapped soldiers. 07:54  |  Jean Van Daem 18/07/08
      27.   Negotiations 07:55  |  sock 18/07/08
      28.   Only one clarification needed 08:07  |  Ilan 18/07/08
      29.   NO DEAL - FOR ONCE ISRAEL MUST SHOW STRENGTH 08:20  |  Dagma 18/07/08
      30.   The most effective way to secure the release of Schalit 08:26  |  Rafi 18/07/08
      31.   Replace Olmert, Ofer Dekel 08:31  |  Mark 18/07/08
      32.   Handicapped 08:40  |  Prince 18/07/08
      33.   NO MORE `DEALS`.YETEnough of Olmert/Barak deals 08:46  |  Dolly 18/07/08
      34.   It`s high time... 09:00  |  Esther 18/07/08
      35.   Just pointing this out again..... 09:12  |  Johnboy 18/07/08
      36.   Hamas holds all the cards 09:25  |  Clickfool 18/07/08
      37.   For Jorge # 6 09:27  |  Clickfool 18/07/08
      38.   For Marc # 5 09:30  |  Clickfool 18/07/08
      39.   STEP #1 - place prisoners Hamas demanded under Shalit conditions 09:34  |  Dr. L. Brnd 18/07/08
      40.   Shalit 09:34  |  Meir 18/07/08
      41.   nobody looked forward to this logic behaviour of the enemy. 09:39  |  Vogel 18/07/08
      42.   # 4 to ben jabo re: "thinking" 09:42  |  eric 18/07/08
      43.   Hamas will never let Shalit go 09:43  |  Adrian de Klerk 18/07/08
      44.   TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT, ISRAEL 09:49  |  indrajaya 18/07/08
      45.   # 12 Clickfool - What bravery in roadside bombs? 09:58  |  Paul Henzen 18/07/08
      46.   Israel needs to introduce the death penalty 10:03  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 18/07/08
      47.   STEP 2: In future, stop taking prisoners... 10:05  |  Paul Henzen 18/07/08
      48.   #16, john, you must be joking 10:16  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 18/07/08
      49.   Re Click #23...."You Jews...." 10:23  |  Esther 18/07/08
      50.   ISRAEL CANNOT LET 1 MAN (Shalit) 10:25  |  ROBOCOP 18/07/08
      51.   #8, Mark of Lewiston, "Hamas isn`t sure" 10:26  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 18/07/08
      52.   Clickfool`s Cards 10:35  |  Robert 18/07/08
      53.   For Paul Henzen # 36 10:36  |  Clickfool 18/07/08
      54.   #2 RIght 10:38  |  teddy 18/07/08
      55.   learn the lesson of ron arad - make a deal 10:51  |  bk 18/07/08
      56.   Dolly no 24 10:54  |  BK 18/07/08
      57.   For Esther # 40 11:05  |  Clickfool 18/07/08
      58.   46 Cipora - They Distrust Too 11:54  |  Mark of Lewiston 18/07/08
      59.   Hamas: Germany will be better for us 11:58  |  Jonathan S 18/07/08
      60.   Shalit is a Captured Soldier, not an bducted Child 12:14  |  Johan Odin 18/07/08
      61.   Robert - "A mans got to know his limitations" , Dirty Harry 12:23  |  Natallie Durson 18/07/08
      62.   Shalit 13:07  |  Maerton 18/07/08
      63.   Olmert and his ilk endanger Israel 13:07  |  Ernst 18/07/08
      64.   Olmert 13:19  |  Maerton 18/07/08
      65.   BEWARE ISRAEL! Do not do anything stupid under OLMERT 13:22  |  Natasha 18/07/08
      66.   BEWARE ISRAEL! Do not do anything stupid under OLMERT 13:22  |  Natasha 18/07/08
      67.   Judith #8 13:35  |  Guido 18/07/08
      68.   Joe Odious: POW or captive 13:40  |  Ilan 18/07/08
      69.   CJK 13:41  |  Guido 18/07/08
      70.   CAUSAE BELLI