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Last update - 18:11 22/07/2009
Egyptian FM: Israel not willing to pay price for Gilad Shalit
By Haaretz Service
Tags: Israel news, Egypt 

Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit said on Wednesday that Cairo was working to convince Israel to ease some of its demands for a prisoner swap with Hamas that would see the release of abducted Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit.

Aboul Gheit told the pan-Arab daily Al-Hayyat that Israel is not willing to pay the necessary price for the release of Shalit, who has been in Palestinian captivity since he was seized in a 2006 cross-border raid from the Gaza Strip.

According to Aboul Gheit, Israel's insistence on exiling Hamas prisoners freed as part of the swap deal is holding up negotiations, as the number of militants and stages of release have already been set.
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He pledged that Egypt would guarantee that all prisoners released would not attack Israel and said Jerusalem's demands were unacceptable, unethical, and inhumane.

The Egyptian minister said that Hamas' request to free Israeli Arabs jailed as security prisoners was also stalling the deal.

The new Israeli envoy charged with negotiating the deal, Haggai Hadas, held his first round of talks with Egyptian mediators in Cairo over a week ago.

Egypt has been mediating for a prisoner swap deal between Israel and the Hamas-rulers of the Gaza Strip.

Hadas - who took the place of former negotiator Ofer Dekel - is seeking the release of hundreds of prisoners held by Israel, many of whom are serving lengthy terms for deadly attacks. Israel has said Hamas' demands are excessive.

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak told an Israeli newspaper before the negotiations that Netanyahu's predecessor, Ehud Olmert, came close to reaching a deal shortly before leaving office, but that he changed his mind and talks broke down.

Last week, Mubarak announced that Shalit was in good condition and expressed hope he would be released soon. However, he gave no details on where he got his information.

A Hamas official later dismissed Mubarak's comments as "wishful thinking".

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      1.   Jerusalem`s demands were unacceptable, unethical, and inhumane?? 18:44  |  Binyamin Dissen 22/07/09
      2.   Gradually, Shalit is being forgotten 18:48  |  Natallie Durson 22/07/09
      3.   Inhumane negotiations 19:01  |  Richard S 22/07/09
      4.   above 19:22  |  moishe 22/07/09
      5.   Any "negotiations" are premature 19:25  |  Arie 22/07/09
      6.   Ghait and "Egyptian guarantees" 19:28  |  Arie 22/07/09
      7.   Why are we involved 20:04  |  Hosam 22/07/09
      8.   Jerusalem "acceptable, unethical, and inhumane." 20:40  |  Steve 22/07/09
      9.   "unacceptable, unethical, and inhumane" 20:47  |  A. Grinberg 22/07/09
      10.   All priosners should be released 21:55  |  secular 22/07/09
      11.   since when did Egypt become so concerened for Gilads welfare 21:58  |  zionist forever 22/07/09
      12.   If Israel executed murderes 21:59  |  Boruch 22/07/09
      13.   WHAT ABOUT GILAD`S WELFARE???? 22:09  |  Lily 22/07/09
      14.   What About the 11,000? 22:32  |  Walid 22/07/09
      15.   Get him back by force 22:46  |  Paul 22/07/09
      16.   Hosam 23:00  |  Walid 22/07/09
      17.   The view from inside an Arab mind 23:38  |  Nemesis 22/07/09
      18.   How is Shalit different than 00:12  |  Mark Lincoln 23/07/09
      19.   #1 Binyamin Dissan. Israel is damaging its own society... 00:44  |  Maureen Ann 23/07/09
      20.   #5 Arie doesn`t tell you 00:50  |  Chris Linthwaite 23/07/09
      21.   political price 01:13  |  William 23/07/09
      22.   Gilad Shalit 01:37  |  Ola Lars Andresen 23/07/09
      23.   Israel can`t exile those prisoners 03:50  |  Johnboy 23/07/09
      24.   Israel should have stayed in Gaza 03:55  |  Nechama 23/07/09
      25.   Playing with fire. 04:18  |  Bazmann 23/07/09
      26.   Hamas` Demands Are Egregious 04:41  |  Brendan 23/07/09
      27.   Egypt would guarantee 05:01  |  vik 23/07/09
      28.   Egypt not doing well 07:11  |  Mido 23/07/09
      29.   Pals won`t pay the price to ICRC and let them see Gilad 08:20  |  lily 23/07/09
      30.   ICRC GET PROOF STOP MESSING AROUND 08:26  |  lily 23/07/09
      31.   What are the chances of Gilead Shalit being released? 08:29  |  B. Gold 23/07/09
      32.   Hosam - Egypt should most definately be involved 11:45  |  Chaim 23/07/09
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