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Last update - 00:04 05/07/2007 Army of Islam says Shalit now solely under control of Hamas By Haaretz Service and News Agencies Army of Islam, one of the militant groups implicated in the abduction last year of Israel Defense Forces Corporal Gilad Shalit, told Channel 10 that it has transferred Shalit to the full control of Hamas. Until his release Wednesday morning, Army of Islam had also been holding British Broadcasting Corporation reporter Alan Johnston, who had been captive in the Gaza Strip for four months. In an interview aired Wednesday night, Army of Islam deputy commander Abu Mutha'ana said, "We at Army of Islam made the preparations for operation 'Dissipating Illusion,' which was carried out in cooperation with the Al Aqsa Martyrs' Brigade and the Popular Resistance Committees Salah a-Din. We kidnapped Gilad Shalit and handed him over to Hamas." Advertisement Abu Mutha'ana, fully masked and surrounded by weapons in the Channel 10 interview, did not fully explain why the movement handed Shalit over to Hamas. He said simply that Shalit was transferred "because Army of Islam was busy with other things." A high-level security source told Channel 10 that Shalit was handed over in exchange for large sums of money and weapons. However, the Associated Press reported that both Hamas and Army of Islam denied the television report. In the interview, Abu Mutha'ana directly addressed the family of the abducted soldier, calling on his relatives to put pressure on the Israeli government. "You must pressure your despotic government to release Palestinian, Arab and Muslim prisoners from jails in Israel, otherwise the Army of Islam will act. After Johnston was released earlier Wednesday, Israel called on Hamas to free Shalit, saying that the militant group is responsible for the delay in the release of Palestinian prisoners as part of a swap for the soldier. Miri Eisin, a spokeswoman for Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, called on Hamas to free Shalit immediately. "The Hamas that brought about Alan Johnston's release is the same Hamas that abducted Gilad Shalit," she said. Earlier Wednesday, Gaza-based Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said that he hoped that Johnston's release would set a precedent for a deal with Israel to free Shalit. "As the case of Alan Johnston has ended, we hope that the case of the Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit may end too in an honorable deal that would secure the release of our hero prisoners from Israeli jails," Haniyeh told a news conference in Gaza City. Eisin said, however: "The (Palestinian) prisoners in Israel would have been released long ago if the Hamas had not kidnapped Gilad Shalit," adding that Shalit's kidnapping "hindered the release" of these prisoners. Israel has said in the past that it is willing to bargain through mediators for the release of Shalit, but is not prepared to release the prisoners that Hamas and its allies are seeking. Shalit was seized from an Israeli border post in a June 2006 cross-border raid by militants from Hamas and other groups. Shalit's captors are demanding the release of Palestinian prisoners held in Israel in exchange for the soldier's return. Haniyeh said there was a possibility to for a deal if Israel used "logic and reason" to end the suffering of the Palestinian prisoners. In a statement released by the Prime Minister's Media Adviser on Wednesday, Israel praised Johnston's release saying, but blamed the delay in negotiating Shalit's return on Hamas. "The State of Israel congratulates BBC journalist Alan Johnston on his release by his kidnappers and shares in the joy of his family and that of the entire British people," said the statement. "Israel demands that soldier Gilad Shalit, who was abducted to the Gaza Strip over one year ago, also be released by his kidnappers, who belong to Hamas. As is known, the Hamas members holding him are - in effect - preventing the release of Palestinian prisoners as has been agreed upon." Bookmark to del.icio.us   Kitler Cat Germany's Green Party uses a cat resembling Hitler to criticize extreme rightists. Sorrymania Israel is reportedly planning to apologize to ex-Beatles for banning a concert in 1965.   1.   Now it is time for Israel to release Palestinian children 18:19  |  John 04/07/07   2.   Make him say Please!! 18:27  |  Natallie Durson 04/07/07   3.   Hamas frees Shalit, Israel free 10,000 kidnapped Palestinians 18:39  |  El-Birawi 04/07/07   4.   release of prisoners 19:01  |  Bill Cook 04/07/07   5.   Time for Fatah to collect on prisoners released 19:25  |  El-Birawi 04/07/07   6.   Olmert`s eggshell-thin ego 19:28  |  Clickfool 04/07/07   7.   This kind of dealing with human life has got to stop. 19:35  |  Virginia 04/07/07   8.   "logic and reason" 19:39  |  Fish 04/07/07   9.   Free Shalit 19:41  |  Shmuelshachor 04/07/07   10.   Cook`s "given" reason 19:44  |  Fish 04/07/07   11.   Virginia, You are Right 19:58  |  Bernie 04/07/07   12.   Hamas frees Shalit, Israel free 10,000 kidnapped Palestinians 20:02  |  El-Birawi 04/07/07   13.   OLMERT, YOU KNOW WHAT YOU NEED TO DO 20:12  |  Patriot 04/07/07   14.   to Clickfool 20:57  |  justice 04/07/07   15.   EL-BIRAWI#2. AS PRISONER OF WAR, WHAT ABOUT THE RIGHTS OF SHALIT? 21:14  |  MOSHEH 04/07/07   16.   NO DEAL WITH TERRORISTS! 21:15  |  SOLDIER 04/07/07   17.   Hamas secures Pal prisoners to stay where they are for good 21:18  |  BNews 04/07/07   18.   While "Palestinian" criminals continue to sit in prison 21:21  |  Mohamed 04/07/07   19.   Pal prisoners are criminals by choice, Shalit a soldier on duty! 21:25  |  UN 04/07/07   20.   Arrested Pals had fair chances in life and courts, Shalit didn`t 21:27  |  Cop 04/07/07   21.   jon 21:40  |  bev 04/07/07   22.   "Hamas"? Who? 21:49  |  Diplomat 04/07/07   23.   "Hamas"? Who? 21:49  |  Diplomat 04/07/07   24.   Hamas lost it all 21:52  |  Stop Islam terrorism 04/07/07   25.   To El-Birawi #3 `Hamas frees Shalit`.... 21:53  |  Natasha 04/07/07   26.   There were 40 of 450 that Israel agreed they would release. 22:18  |  Virginia 04/07/07   27.   Natasha, What Do You Mean No Occupation 22:33  |  Bernie 04/07/07   28.   3 El-Birawi: Shalit 22:42  |  KUTW 04/07/07   29.   Corrupt Hamas! Corrupt Iranian Junta! 23:08  |  Palestine Moral 04/07/07   30.   Time for rescue operation 23:09  |  Michael 04/07/07   31.   address: Hamas 23:12  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 04/07/07   32.   El-Birawi 23:12  |  Avi 04/07/07   33.   COME On! Four (4) Months Of NOTHING...NOW Success? 23:12  |  Proud Pal Defender 04/07/07   34.   Israel Can Keep Demanding As Long As They Like 23:17  |  Bernie 04/07/07   35.   Bernie 23:19  |  Boss Hog 04/07/07   36.   #3, El-Birawi 23:20  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 04/07/07   37.   This article was funny. 23:22  |  BB 04/07/07   38.   This article was funny. 23:22  |  BB 04/07/07   39.   @funny Islamist called "Virginia" 23:25  |  Guard 04/07/07   40.   EL BIRAWI the usual "resistance".Murdering Israeli civillians is? 23:26  |  PETERSM 04/07/07   41.   #27 More stupidity from Bernie 23:26  |  Boss Hog 04/07/07   42.   here a thug, there a thug, everywhere a.... 23:29  |  peter 04/07/07   43.   fails the "could anyone believe this?" test 23:33  |  Murray 04/07/07   44.   Shalit is a curse 23:35  |  Ron 04/07/07   45.   Proud Pal Def. 23:46  |  Proud Mookie 04/07/07   46.   OK BossHog, You Sure Told Me 23:58  |  Bernie 04/07/07   47.   el birawi`s falafel 00:12  |  utagawa 05/07/07   48.   It is true only terrorists kill innocent civilians 00:43  |  El-Birawi 05/07/07   49.   #6 Clickfool. "Olmert`s eggshell-thin ego." 01:08  |  Maureen Ann 05/07/07   50.   Johnston and Shalit 01:23  |  Baz Mann 05/07/07   51.   ABBAS/Ms DESERVE: A FINAL Peace Deal--NOW! !!To End Hamas--NOW!! 02:45  |  Proud Pal Defender 05/07/07   52.   NO SHALIT, EVERY DAY LESS 50 PRISONERS 02:54  |  NEIL GOLAN 05/07/07   53.   Diplomat 04:01  |  not Diplomat 05/07/07   54.   36 04:02  |  Elias 05/07/07   55.   why do people with such a radical pro-Pal slant post here? 04:40  |  Richard S 05/07/07   56.   Who is Hamas kidding. They are making a movie. 05:24  |  Steve 05/07/07   57.   Price for Shalit 07:28  |  Victor 05/07/07   58.   Palestinians prisoners vs. kidnapped Israeli 12:16  |  The Daily Sketch 05/07/07   59.   There is nothing dishonourable in... 20:45  |  J.M.Jordan 05/07/07   60.   NOW IS THE TIME TO SMASH HAMAS 18:25  |  Lou Knee 29/01/08

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