Subscribe to Print Edition | Fri., January 18, 2008 Shvat 11, 5768 | | Israel Time: 17:48 (EST+7) web haaretz.com   Back to Homepage Rosner's Domain Diplomacy Defense Jewish World Opinion National Print Edition Advertising Books Arts & Leisure Business Real Estate Easy Start Travel Week's End Anglo File

Abducted IDF soldier Gilad Shalit (AP) Last update - 16:54 17/01/2008 Hamas: Shalit in good condition, not in danger of being harmed By Jack Khoury, Haaretz Correspondent and News Agencies Tags: Israel, Hamas, Gilad Shalit Abducted Israel Defense Forces soldier Gilad Shalit is in good condition and is not in danger of being harmed, a spokesman for Hamas' armed wing said on Thursday. "I can say with certainty that Gilad Shalit is safe and we have no intention of hurting him, because we know that his release will bring about the release of many Palestinian prisoners," Iz a-Din al-Qassam spokesman Abu Obeida said in an interview with the Nazareth-based A-Shams radio. Abu Obeida said Hamas has chosen the route of negotiations over a prisoner swap deal in exchange for Shalit and would not give up that track. Advertisement "We know to differentiate between Israeli aggression and the contacts being held over the swap," he said, but added, "at this stage, we are in favor of freezing contacts because it is impossible to continue to hold contacts as long as Israel continues its agression." "We will wait for a more appropriate environment to renew the contacts," Abu Obeida said. Meanwhile, Noam Shalit, father of the abducted soldier, said Thursday that he sent a letter of condolence to the territory's Hamas strongman after his son was killed in an Israel Air Force raid earlier this week. "It was a personal letter of condolences," Shalit told The Associated Press on Thursday. He said he did not appeal to Mahmoud Zahar to help free his 21-year-old son, but declined to disclose the text of the letter. Zahar's 24-year-old son Hussam, a Hamas militant, was one of 19 Palestinians killed Tuesday in an IAF operation against Gaza rocket squads. A senior Hamas official warned Thursday that the ongoing IDF raids on the Gaza Strip could turn negotiations over the release of abducted soldier Gilad Shalit into "a Ron Arad affair." The warning was in reference to the Israel Air Force navigator who has been missing in action since his plane went down over Lebanon in 1986. In an interview aired on Channel 1, Hamas official Ismail El-Muzeini, who is overseeing the Shalit matter for the group, said that if the raids continued, Hamas would cut off all contacts with Israel over the release of Shalit, who the group has been holding captive since 2006. Earlier Wednesday, Hamas' exiled leader Khaled Meshal that IDF raids on Gaza would hurt chances of the Palestinian militant group releasing Shalit. Meshal told reporters that recent IDF operations in the coastal strip also made Hamas less likely to negotiate any truce with Israel. Speaking to Israeli leaders, Meshal said: "What you are doing will deny you of any plan you could be betting on: No exchange for Gilad Shalit and no truce." Related articles: Hamas: End Gaza raids or Shalit will become another Ron Arad PM: Israel will continue to wage war on militants firing rockets Hamas: Abbas calls Zahar over son's death, breaking boycott of group Hamas demands Barghouti's release in exchange for Shalit Bookmark to del.icio.us   West Bank shooting Kiryat Sefer man, 40, sustains wounds when terrorists open fire from passing car. Fighting words Barak vows to expand IDF operations against Qassam fire.   1.   Meshal in a panic 2 16:46  |  Denise Thompson 17/01/08   2.   so does zion want her soldier back or not? 16:48  |  muslim 17/01/08   3.   i can`t get anyone in the zionist entity to trade either 16:53  |  nasrallah 17/01/08   4.   #2 again, "muslim," what is with the obsession with the word Zion 17:25  |  McQueen 17/01/08   5.   denise. you are not describing events; you are 17:41  |  balkas bozhidar 17/01/08   6.   #3 nasrallah 17:43  |  GPS 17/01/08   7.   Good that Noam shalit is acting like a normal human being!The 17:50  |  lakshmi 17/01/08   8.   ind-iranian 18:11  |  eugenio di savoia 17/01/08   9.   I guess Lakshmi decided which side of the divide she 18:15  |  Jacob Blues 17/01/08   10.   Yesterday it was threats to kill him and today.. 18:43  |  Avi 17/01/08   11.   Ron Arad is no longer in danger either! 18:45  |  Avi 17/01/08   12.   The difference between 18:55  |  Dav 17/01/08   13.   #7 lakshmi 18:57  |  Giora 17/01/08   14.   A fair deal with the kidnappers??? 18:59  |  Avi 17/01/08   15.   Hey La-Cach Shi-Mi (Lakshmi) 19:05  |  Avi 17/01/08   16.   Is Galid a dope fiend? He always looks stoned in every pic. 19:30  |  POP 17/01/08   17.   #7 Lakshmi - again with the "Banned Weapons" 19:57  |  * BEN JABO 17/01/08   18.   #15 POP - he certainly isn`t a dope fiend 19:59  |  * BEN JABO 17/01/08   19.   kill the golden goose-I don`t think so... 20:14  |  dav zee 17/01/08   20.   9 Jacob Blues,13 giora.JB and you obviously support the vile 20:14  |  lakshmi 17/01/08   21.   one criminals soldier for a general and athousand 20:20  |  dav zee 17/01/08   22.   If anybody touches Shalit... 23:47  |  in fact 17/01/08   23.   If anybody touches Shalit... 23:47  |  in fact 17/01/08

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