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Last update - 20:20 08/12/2009
Israel likely to free 980 Palestinians for Shalit
By Haaretz Service
Tags: Gilad Shalit, Israel news 

Israel is likely to free up to 980 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for abducted Israel Defense Forces soldier Gilad Shalit, the State Prosecution announced on Sunday.

The prosecution was responding to a petition submitted to the High Court of Justice by a group of bereaved parents, requesting that the names of all Palestinian prisoners included in the prisoner swap be disclosed to the public.

According to the prosecution, Israel is likely to release the 450 prisoners requested by Hamas as part of the deal to see Shalit released after three years of captivity in the Gaza Strip.
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Following that, said the prosecution, Israel would free another 530 prisoners as a "gesture to the Palestinians." The list of those prisoners has still not been finalized, said the prosecution.

None of the names of prisoners to be exchanged will be published until after a deal has been secured, according to the prosecution.

In its statement, the prosecution also wrote that the military censor is authorized to forbid any particular piece of information from being published in the media if publication could seriously harm the chances of Shalit's quick return.

The censor is also authorized to forbid any article that might increase the 'price' Israel would pay for Shalit and thus significantly harm the security of the state, said the prosecution.

Nonetheless, there is no practical way to carry out public negotiations against a bitter enemy, wrote the prosecution, adding that Israel is facing a terror organization that is holding a kidnapped soldier and is requesting the highest price for his release.

"Ambiguity on the part of Israel is absolutely necessary. Without ambiguity, it would not be possible to carry out effective negotiations and to realize the goal of bringing Gilad Shalit home," wrote the prosecution.

Shalit faily neither 'encouraged nor ill at ease'

The abducted soldier's parents met on Sunday with Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, as Israel and Hamas reportedly were preparing to seal the prisoner swap deal.

"I am not feeling encouraged nor am I ill at ease," Noam Shalit told reporters on his way into the meeting. "We are still waiting."

Media reports last week predicted that a prisoner exchange deal could be completed by Monday.

Israel and Hamas came closer to the prisoner deal last week when officials said Israel had dropped objections to releasing 160 prisoners. According to Germany's Der Spiegel, the deal will secure the release of 1,000 Palestinian prisoners in total, 450 in the first phase and the remaining 550 later.

The Voice of Palestine radio station said Saturday that Shalit would be transferred in coming days to Egypt, which has been mediating for his release.

However, media sources have reported a snag in the talks over some 70 to 100 names of Palestinian prisoners which Israel is not willing to release - including Fatah's West Bank secretary general, Marwan Barghouti.
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  1.   I`m getting nauseas going back and forth 19:29  |  Arnold 29/11/09
  2.   Free Barghouti!!!!!!!!! and all elected leaders of Palestine! 19:45  |  jim the mechanic 29/11/09
  3.   Freeing 980 terrorists? 19:53  |  Ramin 29/11/09
  4.   Shalit 19:57  |  Chaphari 29/11/09
  5.   How does Gilad feel ? 20:12  |  Falastini 29/11/09
  6.   #1 20:33  |  dave austin 29/11/09
  7.   980:1 Exchange Seems Ludicrous 20:40  |  John Q. Public 29/11/09
  8.   To #1: 20:55  |  Lia 29/11/09
  9.   They won`t release Barghouti because they don`t want peace 21:07  |  peacelover 29/11/09
  10.   what Ramin? 21:12  |  american Jew 29/11/09
  11.   One Israeli is worth 1000 palestinians 21:16  |  Leon 29/11/09
  12.   Israel Understnads One language 21:18  |  JJ 29/11/09
  13.   Dave Austin- get your facts straight 21:20  |  Arnold 29/11/09
  14.   #1 DAve Austin - Tell me 21:23  |  *BEN JABO 29/11/09
  15.   530 prisoners as a gesture to the Pals?! 21:26  |  Assaf 29/11/09
  16.   980 for 1 21:40  |  ben menachem 29/11/09
  17.   This is insanity 21:46  |  Rabbi Yakov Lazaros 29/11/09
  18.   Still not enough 21:55  |  David 29/11/09
  19.   Dave Austin Show me the Data 22:12  |  John Q. Public 29/11/09
  20.   the prosecution only cares about winning... 22:21  |  ben 29/11/09
  21.   to dave number 4 22:51  |  ben 29/11/09
  22.   John Q Public is cruel 22:55  |  Angela 29/11/09
  23.   I`m with 3 22:59  |  me 29/11/09
  24.   So the Palestinians claim that they are worth less... 23:10  |  Alan 29/11/09
  25.   980 Arabs = 1 Jew? 23:15  |  Ed Marsh 29/11/09
  26.   Ramin #1, Israel paints the Pals with a very broad brush... 23:40  |  Esther 29/11/09
  27.   980 terrorists for 1 Jew 23:41  |  Observer 29/11/09
  28.   John Public, show us your data. 23:58  |  Ryan 29/11/09
  29.   #5 Dave has a selective memory 00:07  |  alan 30/11/09
  30.   #3, #5 00:33  |  Semite 30/11/09
  31.   Hey John # 5 01:00  |  ben 30/11/09
  32.   Praying for Speedy Transfer 01:13  |  Jane 30/11/09
  33.   13 year old death 01:38  |  Avi 30/11/09
  34.   #5 john q, YOU have stated they`re all terrorists and criminals 03:19  |  eric 30/11/09
  35.   Is a deal possible with Hamas RIGHT ??? 03:48  |  M. S. 30/11/09
  36.   Sure that 1000 of Palestinians can be released 16:45  |  Eve Sett 30/11/09
  37.   #1 Of course Ramin. 16:47  |  Dunstan 30/11/09
  38.   #2 Dave , Agree with you there..... 16:50  |  Joshiah 30/11/09
  39.   #10.Mul Scl Why getting so CONFUSED? 16:53  |  Denise 30/11/09
  40.   #5. John Q. With this reasoning there would be 16:56  |  Jon Mc Inrus. 30/11/09
  41.   0ne = one thousand 17:26  |  GA 30/11/09
  42.   #8, Ben Jabo... 18:09  |  Silvienne 30/11/09
  43.   #16, Angela, how dramatic you are! 18:11  |  Silvienne 30/11/09
  44.   Only another 10,000 Palestinians to go... 18:13  |  Silvienne 30/11/09
  45.   #44 Silvienne - About the 10,000 17:29  |  *BEN JABO 01/12/09
  46.   #45, Ben Jabo... 19:29  |  Silvienne 01/12/09
  47.   #46 Silvienne - I just told you 05:53  |  *BEN JABO 03/12/09
  48.   #47, Ben Jabo.... 16:26  |  Silvienne 03/12/09
  49.   #48 Silvienne - Under 16, then you want to 17:04  |  *BEN JABO 03/12/09
  50.   To Ben Jabo...3RD TRY 22:21  |  Silvienne 03/12/09
  51.   #50 Silvienen - Guilty or Innocent?? 16:45  |  *BEN JABO 04/12/09
  52.   ...the deal will secure the release of 1,000.... 17:24  |  Simon 04/12/09
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