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Last update - 13:25 07/10/2008
Israeli security officials: Time running out on Shalit deal
By Amos Harel and Avi Issacharoff
Tags: Israel News, Gilad Shalit

Security officials have warned that the time for making a deal for the release of kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit is running out. The officials told Haaretz that the more time that passes, the more things can go wrong and the greater the danger that an opportunity will be missed to bring Shalit home.

Talks are to open Tuesday in Cairo between Hamas and Fatah, mediated by the Egyptians, with an Egyptian-proposed package deal on the agenda that would include the release of Shalit.

In discussions in Israel regarding prisoners who could be released in exchange for Shalit, the names of terrorists were mentioned who committed major attacks in the early 1990s.
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The officials said they believed Hamas would raise the price it would demand for Shalit as time goes by. A security official also said: "Many possibilities must be taken into account, not all of them under our control. The calm in the Gaza Strip could blow up, the Egyptians could reduce their involvement in the talks to concentrate on domestic issues, one of Gilad's guards could harm him. There could even be complications from a flu that they don't know how to treat property at Shifa," the official said, referring to a Gaza Strip hospital.

Officials said that as far as they know, no option now exists for a military option to release Shalit. Referring to the kidnapping, an official said, "there was a failure, and now the price has to be paid, even if it means releasing terrorists who are murderers."

The officials said that the decision would soon be put to the prime minister-designate, Tzipi Livni. "When she reads all the material, she will understand that time is not in our favor, and the responsibility for Gilad Shalit's welfare is first and foremost hers."

Livni has avoided making public statements recently about Shalit. In the past she has said she sees the state has having the supreme responsibility of bringing back captives, "all the more so when it is a question of living soldiers."

However, although Livni voted in favor of bringing back the bodies of reserve soldiers Eldad Regev and Ehud Goldwasser in exchange for Israel's release of Salim Kuntar, convicted of killing four Israelis in a 1979 terror attack, she objected to the way the talks were handled, including the fact that Israel publicly declared that the two were dead only at the end of the negotiations.

Sources in Livni's bureau said this week that she objects to public calls "to release [Israeli] POWs at any price."

However, Livni did support releasing prisoners defined as having "blood on their hands" as a gesture to the Palestinian Authority.

Livni reportedly told associates at a closed meeting recently that in the list of prisoners Hamas wants released in exchange for Shalit, "there are much more than one Kuntar." She also said she expects she will come under heavy public pressure to close a deal quickly, "including demonstrations in front of my house."

Activists for Shalit's release have indeed announced that they will begin to hold permanent vigils outside Livni's house, beginning this Friday.

These remarks make it difficult to ascertain where Livni will stand on a Shalit deal as prime minister.

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert opposed a massive prisoner release in exchange for Shalit, a position also supported by Mossad chief Meir Dagan, who has been in on some of the discussions, although he is not directly connected to the issue. To a lesser extent, Shin Bet security service head Yuval Diskin also objects to an extensive release.

Defense Minister Ehud Barak and Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi represent the opposite position, believing that time is of the essence and that Israel should be taking advantage of the ongoing cease-fire in the Gaza Strip to move ahead on a deal to release Shalit, even at a "heavy cost."

Barak said Monday at a memorial service for the Armored Corps dead, at Latrun: "We will do everything possible and appropriate to bring Gilad Shalit home. We will spare no efforts. That is our duty."

The committee, headed by Vice Premier Haim Ramon, dealing with the Hamas prisoner list recently added an additional eight names to the list of prisoners Israel is prepared to release, bringing the number to about 150 (according to another version, there are already 200 names on the list). Egypt is pressuring Israel to raise the number somewhat, to give it more room to maneuver vis-a-vis Hamas.

The committee has proposed releasing prisoners who committed major attacks during the first intifada, at the end of the 1980s and the early 1990s. It was said that they did not belong to any terror group and are now fairly advanced in age, so that there is now a relatively low risk they will return to terror activities. Some of the names were later dropped because the committee members concluded that their cases were of emotional and symbolic significance to the Israeli public.

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  • Israeli authors to Olmert: Save Gilad Shalit now
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      1.   Schmaltz isn`t the road to peace and security 02:02  |  MARK KLEIN, M.D. 07/10/08
      2.   IT`S NOT ROCKET SCIENCE - Total Blockade 04:03  |  Barry S. Roffman 07/10/08
      3.   I couldnt have said it better myself, Barry 04:56  |  Aussie Eli 07/10/08
      4.   Bomb Gaza daily until shalit is released or Gaza is ashes 05:11  |  bernard ross 07/10/08
      5.   Pals dont care about their own 06:40  |  Adrian de Klerk 07/10/08
      6.   You First 4 Posters are Something 06:47  |  Mark of Lewiston 07/10/08
      7.   And what`s YOUR proposal,Mark of Lewiston? 07:18  |  Hastaroth 07/10/08
      8.   Israel should eliminate the Hamas political leaders one by one. 07:24  |  Jean Van Daem 07/10/08
      9.   TURN OFF THE POWER ALREADY!!!!!!! 07:43  |  B`Galil 07/10/08
      10.   Roffman is inhuman put 2 million innocents for just one man! 07:50  |  Abu Samra 07/10/08
      11.   Not at All, Hastaroth 08:02  |  Mark of Lewiston 07/10/08
      12.   MORE than just One Kuntar........ 08:09  |  Dagma 07/10/08
      13.   TIME also runnig out for Hamas to make a deal 08:31  |  PETER SM 07/10/08
      14.   For B`Galil # 9 08:44  |  Clickfool 07/10/08
      15.   For Barry S.Roffman # 2 08:47  |  Clickfool 07/10/08
      16.   For Bernard Ross # 4 08:50  |  Clickfool 07/10/08
      17.   Pay the price 08:53  |  Clickfool 07/10/08
      18.   ABU Samra I wish,You wish. What does Hamas wish? 08:58  |  PETER SM 07/10/08
      19.   The abject brigade of "Shouters Not Shooters For Israel" 08:58  |  Clickfool 07/10/08
      20.   #6, Mark of Lewiston 09:00  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 07/10/08
      21.   Shalit release 09:07  |  Ralph 07/10/08
      22.   #13, the fool recommending mutilation 09:18  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 07/10/08
      23.   Not at All, Hastaroth 2nd Try 09:22  |  Mark of Lewiston 07/10/08
      24.   #14, what would a fool know about the people of israel? 09:22  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 07/10/08
      25.   Inept Israeli military wants a price to be paid by ordinary Israe 09:36  |  Absolute Sweden 07/10/08
      26.   Time to put prisoner issues like this on a sensible footing 09:43  |  Dr. L. Brnd 07/10/08
      27.   CClickfool whose buddies tried to blow up Glasgow airport 09:52  |  Absolute Sweden 07/10/08
      28.   SHALIT WILL BE SACRIFICED BY ISRAEL 10:00  |  indrajaya 07/10/08
      29.   Israelis just don`t seem to understand the Palestinian "psychy" 10:10  |  Swiss (Dino) 07/10/08
      30.   clickfool you do not understand anything 10:10  |  brighton rock 07/10/08
      31.   clickfool and "war crime" 10:15  |  brighton rock 07/10/08
      32.   clickfool your sadistic fantasies tell of your nature 10:18  |  zadok the priest 07/10/08
      33.   clickfool entertains himself with bloodcurdling 10:20  |  zadok the priest 07/10/08
      34.   Samir, not Salim Quntar 10:20  |  editor 07/10/08
      35.   #18, Dino, inciting and brewing the witches` brew 10:25  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 07/10/08
      36.   swiss dino explains the palestinian psyche 10:25  |  swisswatch 07/10/08
      37.   #30, brighton rock, precisely 10:38  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 07/10/08
      38.   #19, fool, there is none more abject or cowardly than you 10:47  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 07/10/08
      39.   # 35 Cipora complaining about "incitement" is like..... 11:12  |  Swiss (Dino) 07/10/08
      40.   Shalit has to be brought home ALIVE......FIRST! 11:19  |  Dolly 07/10/08
      41.   A question of time... 11:23  |  Stephen. 07/10/08
      42.   Clickfool and Shalit`s body parts 11:24  |  Israeli citizen 07/10/08
      43.   Clickfool and Shalit`s body parts 11:25  |  Israeli citizen 07/10/08
      44.   You don`t need to make yourself crazy 11:25  |  Edith 07/10/08
      45.   Clickfool and Shalit`s body parts 11:31  |  Israeli citizen 07/10/08
      46.   Clickfool and Shalit`s body parts 11:32  |  Israeli citizen 07/10/08
      47.   #4 ... and have you thought about ... 11:33  |  Edith 07/10/08
      48.   More post-zionist propaganda 11:34  |  Jeff 07/10/08
      49.   For Cipora # 22 11:41  |  Clickfool 07/10/08
      50.   IMNDRAJAYA if a hair on Shalits head is harmed Hamas brothers are 11:42  |  PETER SM 07/10/08
      51.   Question for Cipora # 37 11:43  |  Clickfool 07/10/08
      52.   Why are there still Hamas leaders walking around free? 11:46  |  David Teich 07/10/08
      53.   Abu Samra - arrogant bullshit: do as we say or else is your line 12:05  |  x-ray 07/10/08
      54.   # 36 swisswatch 12:08  |  Swiss (Dino) 07/10/08
      55.   CFOOL it is Hamas from Gaza that`s doing the bombing 12:12  |  PETER SM 07/10/08
      56.   MARK of Lewiston Do you disagree with bombing of civillians? 12:17  |  PETER SM 07/10/08
      57.   #20 Cipora Julianna Kohn on `people who never respect Geneva` 12:22  |  Roo 07/10/08
      58.   Here`s news for David Teich # 52 12:22  |  Clickfool 07/10/08
      59.   Hamas should show Israelis and IDF, that... 12:37  |  Dutch Dirk 07/10/08
      60.   Israel should raise Hell over Hamas 12:54  |  Nora 07/10/08
      61.   brighton rock-isn`t that a bit racist? ~31 13:11  |  rolf 07/10/08
      62.   play smart 13:30  |  nir osherov 07/10/08
      63.   #20 Cipora Julianna Kohn on `people who never respect Geneva` 13:56  |  Roo 07/10/08
      64.   Shalit and Palestinians in Israeli prisons must be released now. 14:12  |  Esmaralda 07/10/08
      65.   #20 Cipora Julianna Kohn on `people who never respect Geneva` 14:16  |  Roo 07/10/08
      66.   #15 Clickfool the Geographical Genius :o) 14:35  |  Murray of Montreal 07/10/08
      67.   #10 - ABU - NOBODY NEEDS TO STARVE! 15:21  |  Barry S. Roffman 07/10/08
      68.   the question here can hamas produce schalit 15:46  |  victor hardman 07/10/08
      69.   To Jean Van Daem # 8 Eliminating Hamas Leaders wont help