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Last update - 20:52 30/08/2008
Hamas to Israel: We won't compromise, we want 1,000 prisoners for Shalit
By Barak Ravid, Haaretz Correspondent, and Haaretz Service
Tags: Israel, Hamas, Gilad Shalit

A spokesman for Hamas' military wing, the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, said that the Islamic group would not settle for a list of 450 Palestinian prisoners Israel will offer to release in exchange for captive Israel Defense Forces soldier Gilad Shalit, but will rather demand the release of more than 1,000 prisoners, according to a report published Saturday in the London-based Arabic language daily newspaper Asharq al-Awsat.

Shalit has been held captive in the Gaza Strip, ruled by Hamas, since his abduction by militants in June 2006.

The spokesman, Abu Obeida, made his remarks ahead of a planned meeting of an Israeli ministerial panel, headed by Vice Premier Haim Ramon, set to compose a list of prisoners, including those considered as having "blood on their hands", on Sunday. The Israeli list will include 450 names including 70 from Hamas' list who have already been approved for release in accordance with existing criteria, and a certain number of prisoners whose release will be approved after the panel amends the criteria in order to include them. The list will be transferred to Egypt, who will present it to Hamas at a later date.
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However, Abu Obeida expressed his indifference to the planned meeting, saying "in principle, we will not discuss any list presented by the Israeli occupation; it must implement the list composed by us. It is not fathomable that a live hostage will be released in exchange for a handful of prisoners."

Initially, Hamas had demanded the release of 450 prisoners, and submitted a list of the specific prisoners it wanted. A few months ago, it raised its demands to 1,000, with the initial 450 to be freed simultaneously with Shalit and the remainder in stages thereafter. It has now upped its demands again.

Hamas recently jacked up the number of Palestinian prisoners it wants Israel to release in exchange for Shalit, from 1,000 to 1,500, a senior government source said.

At a meeting with senior cabinet ministers on Wednesday, both Shin Bet security service chief Yuval Diskin and Ofer Dekel, who was appointed by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to oversee the negotiations, blamed the sudden increase in Hamas' demands on Israel's agreement to a cease-fire with the organization in the Gaza Strip.

Last month's deal with Hezbollah, in which Israel freed terrorist Samir Kuntar and four other Lebanese in exchange for the bodies of two kidnapped soldiers, also hardened Hamas' stance, defense officials said.

A ministerial committee headed by Vice Premier Haim Ramon is slated to discuss the Shalit deal on Sunday, and Olmert has asked it to draft a list of 450 prisoners that Israel would be willing to release in exchange for the soldier. This would be the first time Israel has prepared such a list. Until now, it has merely approved or rejected the names submitted by Hamas.

The Wednesday meeting was attended by Olmert, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, Defense Minister Ehud Barak and senior defense officials. Barak reported on his trip to Cairo the day before, during which he discussed the Shalit deal with Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak and intelligence chief Omar Suleiman.

According to the government source, Egypt told Barak that Hamas is currently demanding 1,500 prisoners in exchange for Shalit.

Both Diskin and Dekel told the ministers that the cease-fire hardened Hamas' stance by eliminating the pressure Israel had been exerting via both military operations and an economic blockade. As a result, Hamas no longers feels any urgency about concluding a deal, they said.

They therefore argued that the only way to conclude the deal was to go back to exerting pressure, even if this endangers the truce. Dekel suggested halting all fuel supplies to Gaza or closing the border crossings that were reopened under the truce.

Barak, in contrast, said Israel had to demonstrate a willingness to move toward Hamas' demands. "We embarked on the truce for Gilad Shalit's sake, and we need to utilize this period to achieve progress in the negotiations," he said. "If we demonstrate more willingness, it could be that Hamas will demonstrate more willingness."

The list the ministerial committee is expected to draft on Sunday will include the 70 prisoners requested by Hamas whose release Israel has already approved, plus an unspecified number of others on Hamas' list whose release is expected to be approved once the cabinet adopts new, more lenient criteria. The remainder will be Israel's choice. Once completed, Israel will ask Egypt to pass the list on to Hamas.

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  • Shalit is still in Gaza
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      1.   reasonable proposal 15:01  |  potobac 30/08/08
      2.   Release of all Palestinian prisoners 15:04  |  Palestinian Brit 30/08/08
      3.   Serious questions that must be addressed before exchanges of ... 15:50  |  Jean Van Daem 30/08/08
      4.   THIS IS BULL 15:58  |  B`Galil 30/08/08
      5.   Prisoner Release 16:02  |  Yakov 30/08/08
      6.   Give them 2,000 16:06  |  Pepe 30/08/08
      7.   And then Israel will receive a third dead body... 16:16  |  Hastaroth 30/08/08
      8.   THIS ISN`T A JOKE NO MORE 16:26  |  indrajaya 30/08/08
      9.   if 1000 palestinians = 1 Israeli - it should work both ways 16:45  |  Realist 30/08/08
      10.   Release all Palestinian prisoners... 16:49  |  David Nigel Braham 30/08/08
      11.   Who said they will not UP their numbers each time Israel 17:26  |  Dagma 30/08/08
      12.   Manipulation 17:46  |  RON 30/08/08
      13.   This pre-Rosh Hashana "tradition" is quite sad 17:51  |  Richard S 30/08/08
      14.   Like a greedy kidnapper... 18:18  |  Michael 30/08/08
      15.   hamas want 18:33  |  Charles 30/08/08
      16.   Hamas you should ask for the release of all Palestinian prisoners 18:49  |  lakshmi 30/08/08
      17.   Killing rampage 19:02  |  Baz Mann 30/08/08
      18.   Most of your prisoners are innocent. 19:13  |  Lou Medel 30/08/08
      19.   Israel Still In Control 19:15  |  Mark of Lewiston 30/08/08
      20.   RON # 12 - No Solutions..... 19:16  |  Dagma 30/08/08
      21.   Only 1000? A Jew is worth much more 19:24  |  c 30/08/08
      22.   # 15 Charles - The `wants` of Hamas...... 19:24  |  Dolly 30/08/08
      23.   #14 One Israeli=1500 Palestinians? Joke 19:29  |  Lou Medel 30/08/08
      24.   Where is the Mossad and Shin Bet? 19:30  |  The Terminator 30/08/08
      25.   No giving of `land for peace` to the Arabs 19:37  |  The Threadmill 30/08/08
      26.   Simple mathematics 20:00  |  JW 30/08/08
      27.   lakshimi: i read Childrens Defense Int`l website 20:26  |  Richard S 30/08/08
      28.   #8 Indy......None of this has ever been a joke 20:48  |  Lynn 30/08/08
      29.   #5...Yakov...although I agree... 20:53  |  nemesis 30/08/08
      30.   Yakov`s first message 21:02  |  Pierre 30/08/08
      31.   Gestures should work both ways 21:04  |  ChanahS 30/08/08
      32.   a jew vs a MUSLIM 21:06  |  elimelech 30/08/08
      33.   Up against the wall 21:08  |  Steven 30/08/08
      34.   Hamas keeps moving the cheese 21:08  |  ChanahS 30/08/08
      35.   Charles - I`m with you on this one. 21:09  |  ChanahS 30/08/08
      36.   Dolly 21:10  |  Linichka 30/08/08
      37.   hamas endless demands have jumped the shark 21:21  |  michelle 30/08/08
      38.   up against the wall 21:34  |  Tony 30/08/08
      39.   Lou Medel # 18 No Charges Are Required 21:51  |  Jeff Northridge 30/08/08
      40.   There is no justification to release more Hamas for Gilad Shalit 21:54  |  Rolland 30/08/08
      41.   Release 0 prisoners 22:02  |  Larry 30/08/08
      42.   27 Richard S. I would be interested in knowing how you came to 22:08  |  lakshmi 30/08/08
      43.   WHY does Israel give so much credit to the madmen??? 22:11  |  AY 30/08/08
      44.   Are Israelis really Jewish? 22:12  |  utagawa 30/08/08
      45.   palestinian brit - 2. try 22:24  |  scallywag 30/08/08
      46.   Why don`t palestinians see how insane hamas is? 22:26  |  Steve Randolph 30/08/08
      47.   To `end the occupation` people: When the war on israel ends, yes 22:29  |  Steve Randolph 30/08/08
      48.   attack gaza on ramadon 22:31  |  vik 30/08/08
      49.   Free All illegal Detentions 22:31  |  Avi 30/08/08
      50.   Hamas is really a criminal gang with no shame - 22:39  |  ivo 30/08/08
      51.   Lou Medel #23: let me explain this to you, Arizonian Lou - 23:07  |  ivo 30/08/08
      52.   Where is Gilad Shalit ? 23:24  |  Stephen 30/08/08
      53.   hamas demand for 1000 prisoners for shalit 23:42  |  robert nebb 30/08/08
      54.   Anyone know where Barak`s reputation as `intelligent` came from? 23:56  |  Truthteller 30/08/08
      55.   unfathomable logic 23:56  |  nina 30/08/08
      56.   Shalit 01:10  |  Barrie 31/08/08
      57.   49 Avi, well said ! Time for real peace and time for a real 01:10  |  lakshmi 31/08/08
      58.   Hamas are liars 01:39  |  Victoria 31/08/08
      59.   Just free them already 02:20  |  me 31/08/08
      60.   hamas 02:40  |  azad 31/08/08
      61.   OTHERS ARE LEARNING FROM ISRAEL`S MISTAKES 02:46  |  Jewish doctor 31/08/08
      62.   Tell me Jewish Doctor...how do you pacify 03:49  |  kiwi girl 31/08/08
      63.   Israel declared war on Gaza therefore 03:54  |  kiwi girl 31/08/08
      64.   # 28, LYNN 04:47  |  indrajaya 31/08/08
      65.   #62 kiwi girl 05:21  |  Realist 31/08/08
      66.   #9, REALIST, jews set the ratio 07:19  |  VIPER 31/08/08
      67.   Gilad Shalit is with family 08:31  |  michael mazur 31/08/08
      68.   Back to the beginning 09:35  |  Jim 31/08/08
      69.   #17 is right