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Last update - 07:20 01/09/2008
Israel rejects upped Hamas demands for Shalit agreement
By Barak Ravid and Jack Khoury, Haaretz Correspondents
Tags: Hamas, Gilad Shalit, Israel 

Israel sent a message to Hamas on Sunday telling it to retract its demand that Israel free more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the release of captive Israel Defense Forces soldier Gilad Shalit.

Foreign Ministry director general Aharon Abramovitz sent the message during a meeting in Cairo on Sunday with Egyptian intelligence chief Omar Suleiman and Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit, in which he said Hamas must stop raising the price for Shalit's freedom.

Hamas spokesman Abu Obeida said Saturday the group would not settle for its earlier demand for 450 Palestinian prisoners, but is seeking the release of more than 1,000 in exchange for Shalit. Last week, Egyptian officials told Defense Minister Ehud Barak that Hamas wants 1,500 Palestinian prisoners set free in exchange for Shalit, with the release of 450 prisoners considered only the first of two stages of the deal.
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The Shalit issue was the central focus of Abramovitz's meeting with the Egyptian officials, which also covered negotiations with the Palestinians, the Iranian situation and Lebanon. Abramovitz said Hamas was not meeting its cease-fire commitments.

"The issue of advancing the negotiations to free Gilad Shalit was one where we expected to see progress since the cease-fire [began]," Abramovitz said. "As of now, nothing has happened, and it worries Israel greatly."

Shalit was abducted by Palestinian militants in a cross-border raid near the Gaza border on June 25, 2006.

Vice Premier Haim Ramon said on Sunday that if Hamas does not temper its demands, Israel would be unable to make a deal with the militant Palestinian group for the release of Shalit.

"If there is no flexibility in demands on Hamas' side as well, it won't be possible to reach an agreement," Ramon said at the close of a meeting of a ministerial panel on Palestinian prisoner releases. The committee, headed by Ramon, convened on Sunday to compose a list of which 450 Palestinian prisoners to release.

The list, which was to include 70 names that meet Israel's existing criteria for release, and additional prisoners for whom the criteria will be amended, will be sent to Hamas for consideration via Egypt. The committee was established to set new criteria on Palestinian prisoners, including those with "blood on their hands." No decision was made on Sunday, though another meeting will be held in the next few days.

Shalit's family, meanwhile, issued a statement on Sunday expressing "shock and dismay" over any Israeli release of Palestinian prisoners outside the framework of a prisoner exchange aimed expressly at securing Shalit's freedom.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas asked Prime Minister Ehud Olmert during a meeting on Sunday to release more Palestinian prisoners currently jailed in Israel as a goodwill gesture. Olmert said that at this stage Israel does not intend to release more Palestinian prisoners except as part of a deal for Shalit.

Last week, Israel released 199 Palestinian prisoners in a gesture to the Palestinian Authority ahead of a visit by U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

Related articles:
  • Yehuda Ben Meir / A grating tone
  • Haaretz Editorial / They failed to free Shalit
  • Hamas to Israel: We won't compromise, we want 1,000 prisoners for Shalit
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      1.   Releasing 1,oo prisoners for Shalit 05:53  |  Abraham Cohen 01/09/08
      2.   AD Cohen 07:12  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 01/09/08
      3.   WHY give Hamas the time of day till there is proof Gilad is alive 07:21  |  PETER SM 01/09/08
      4.   There is no change in the positions of Israel and Hamas. 07:23  |  Jean Van Daem 01/09/08
      5.   how about a fair trade 1 for 1? 07:50  |  idf_sergeant 01/09/08
      6.   Israel is negotiating from weakness and is not very good at it 10:43  |  Natallie Durson 01/09/08
      7.   NATALIE How is it the"weak" Israelis have not yet cracked 12:36  |  PETER SM 01/09/08
      8.   #6 do what America does 12:37  |  Victoria 01/09/08
      9.   For Jean van Daem # 4 12:40  |  Clickfool 01/09/08
      10.   for idf-sgt. It not about who. Its about the "Media".. 12:47  |  Stephen 01/09/08
      11.   RED CROSS ZERVEL. 13:18  |  DANNY. 01/09/08
      12.   TO NO 6 13:21  |  DANNY. 01/09/08
      13.   for c`fool 13:52  |  x-ray 01/09/08
      14.   CFOOL Re "It`s Israel that`s desperate for a deal" As proof 14:27  |  PETER SM 01/09/08
      15.   Yes, desperate Israelis, but this weaknsess is strength 14:54  |  Israeli citizen 01/09/08
      16.   Yes, natallie, Click, et al: we are weak 15:20  |  Israeli citizen 01/09/08
      17.   Hamas has reneged on the deal they agreed to 15:37  |  Lynn 01/09/08
      18.   Take your pick, Peter SM # 14 16:38  |  Clickfool 01/09/08
      19.   For Lynn # 17 16:43  |  Clickfool 01/09/08
      20.   Do A Ronald Regan 16:43  |  Gilbert 01/09/08
      21.   Allow non-muslims to pray on the Temple Mount 17:39  |  Great White North 01/09/08
      22.   Illegal muslim expansion 17:41  |  Great White North 01/09/08
      23.   #18 take you pick boris ,when acontractor doesnt want ajob 17:55  |  vhardman 01/09/08
      24.   Shalit Galid -vs- Palestinian jailbirds 14:27  |  Susan 02/09/08
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