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Egyptian intelligence chief Omar Suleiman and Defense Minister Ehud Barak (Nir Kafri)
Last update - 22:58 17/05/2008
Report: Egypt warns Hamas of major IDF Gaza raid if Shalit not freed
By Amos Harel and Avi Issacharoff, Haaretz Correspondents
Tags: Israel, Omar Suleiman, Hamas 

Head of Egyptian Intelligence General Omar Suleiman has warned Hamas that the failure to include kidnapped Israel Defense Forces soldier Gilad Shalit in a prisoner exchange with Israel will lead to a wide-spread IDF operation in the Gaza Strip, according to a report in the Lebanese daily Al-Akhbar.

"Israel will use a heavy hand against Hamas in the Gaza Strip if an agreement is not reached that secures the release of the kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit" Suleiman told the second-in-command of the militant group's political bureau Moussa Abu Marzook, according to Al-Akhbar.

Senior Palestinian officials reportedly told Al-Akhbar that even though Hamas is ready to include Shalit in a future deal, they are not willing to accept the list of prisoners Israel has offered to release in exchange for the soldier, held by the militant group since he was kidnapped and wounded by Gaza militants in a cross border raid in June 2006.
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Israel has asked Egypt to incorporate a deal to free Shalit into Hamas truce talks being mediated by Cairo. The cease-fire talks will resume next week, Haaretz has learned.

A Hamas official said that the group does not oppose including Shalit in the truce deal but would agree to such a move on its own terms, Israel Radio reported on Friday.

If Egypt agrees, it would mark its return to trying to negotiate Shalit's release, after a year's hiatus.

General Suleiman is slated to meet a delegation of Palestinian factions in the Gaza Strip on Sunday, while the deputy head of Hamas' Damascus-based political bureau, Moussa Abu Marzook, will travel to Cairo.

Defense Minister Ehud Barak will be in Egypt on Sunday, for an international economic conference in Sharm al-Sheikh. Though Barak has no meeting scheduled with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, he may take the opportunity to discuss the truce with senior Egyptian officials.

Cairo reduced its involvement in the indirect negotiations with Hamas to a minimum after the militant Islamic group took over the Gaza Strip last June, and the talks subsequently stalemated.

Palestinian sources said Hamas was likely to speed up the talks on Shalit immediately after obtaining a truce, but would not link the two issues, as Israel is demanding.

Barak and Prime Minister Ehud Olmert recently told both Egyptian officials and American President George Bush that Israel would wait a few more days, but if the truce talks failed to yield an agreement by then, it would step up its military operations in Gaza.

Despite these threats, however, Israel seems to prefer a truce to military escalation. If the Egyptians conclude a cease-fire deal, and especially if it includes significant progress toward Shalit's release, Israel would agree to a several-month truce, officials said.

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      1.   Shalit`s release MUST be incorporated into "truce" 05:25  |  Free Gilad Shalit 16/05/08
      2.   Hamas begs for a truce - Good faith deposit required 06:59  |  * BEN JABO 16/05/08
      3.   I`m certain something can be arranged... 07:25  |  Victor 16/05/08
      4.   Endless talks will not free Shalit 07:32  |  Natallie Durson 16/05/08
      5.   Egypt is still the world center of anti-Israeli incitement. 08:00  |  Jean Van Daem 16/05/08
      6.   The other side from mitnight 08:29  |  Dav 16/05/08
      7.   Isreal must reciprocate prisoner treatment 09:57  |  Adrian de Klerk 16/05/08
      8.   If True; Hamas is Desperate 10:13  |  ERSB 16/05/08
      9.   Yala, let`s get on with this already... 10:26  |  Esther 16/05/08
      10.   Hamas, what have you done to Gilad Shalit? 10:33  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 16/05/08
      11.   Kidnapping civilians 12:00  |  Said 16/05/08
      12.   JUST AS I SAD IN A 12:02  |  Robert 16/05/08
      13.   Hamas are just Bullies! 12:23  |  Milly 16/05/08
      14.   A truce mans that all parties satisfied with terms.... 12:34  |  r 16/05/08
      15.   Shalit must be free, palestinian prisioners too 12:48  |  Ivan 16/05/08
      16.   @9,said, please you can speak as arab but not as westerner, 13:13  |  vladimir 16/05/08
      17.   Victor I`m certain you must go for check up 13:36  |  Aby 16/05/08
      18.   # 1 Nameless coward. 13:40  |  Vinegar Hill 16/05/08
      19.   hamas chokes on sand on its own terms 14:10  |  peter 16/05/08
      20.   Proof of life as compromise 14:12  |  Aphemia 16/05/08
      21.   truce 14:21  |  Hilda 16/05/08
      22.   If Gilad Shalit is not released at Israel`s terms they will pay.. 14:33  |  Ami 16/05/08
      23.   Must be on our terms 15:53  |  Clicky 16/05/08
      24.   Vinegar Hill you don`t have a son which was kidnapped. 16:14  |  Aby 16/05/08
      25.   Be wize, the Arab residents of the Gaza Strip, and demand of your 16:56  |  Elad 16/05/08
      26.   truce shmuce 17:28  |  Shmuelshachor 16/05/08
      27.   Cipora 17:51  |  Danite 16/05/08
      28.   Only the present leaders of Israel 18:05  |  * BEN JABO 16/05/08
      29.   Said 18:05  |  Marc 16/05/08
      30.   What pompous weasels 18:10  |  x-ray 16/05/08
      31.   Cut-and-paste propagandist, Jean van Daem, at it again 18:46  |  Clickfool 16/05/08
      32.   Saying it doesn`t make it so, X-Ray # 17 18:50  |  Clickfool 16/05/08
      33.   #11-gagging on Vinegar Hill 19:09  |  peter 16/05/08
      34.   #21 Saying So Doesn`t Make It So 19:47  |  JP 16/05/08
      35.   Soon there will be a new Government In Israel 20:00  |  Shepherd 16/05/08
      36.   shalit..... 20:03  |  ljf-canada 16/05/08
      37.   response to # 21 clickfo ol 20:07  |  Dish It Out 16/05/08
      38.   Danite 20:52  |  Connie 16/05/08
      39.   #22 20:58  |  Jane 16/05/08
      40.   For Dish It Out # 26 21:21  |  Clickfool 16/05/08
      41.   Shalit 21:31  |  Ammo Hoekstra 16/05/08
      42.   Saying they want a ceasefire is saying it`s so, c.fool 22:37  |  x-ray 16/05/08
      43.   Quite wrong Clickfool 23:51  |  Scharker Yid 16/05/08
      44.   To #3 Victor 00:02  |  David 17/05/08
      45.   #32 clicky....I just wanted to let you know, 04:59  |  Lynn 17/05/08
      46.   Adrian de Klerk#7 05:12  |  ron 17/05/08
      47.   Forget about poor Gilad while Kadima is in power..... 08:54  |  Natasha 17/05/08
      48.   NO SHALIT until OLMERT IS OUT! 09:08  |  The Threadmill 17/05/08
      49.   Relax Hamas, nothing to worry about 17:33  |  Carolyn Lam 17/05/08
      50.   Hamas doesnt want shalit ... but 17:53  |  fallujah 17/05/08
      51.   Is Gilad Shalit alive? 18:05  |  Michael 17/05/08
      52.   Israel must establish firm time for compliance 18:19  |  take it or leave it 17/05/08
      53.   What Palistinians? Modern day Joke on the world 18:24  |  Levi 17/05/08
      54.   Hamas isn`t stupid 18:26  |  Elizabeth Weir 17/05/08
      55.   Bush Gone, Peace Scare Over 18:35  |  Mark Lincoln 17/05/08
      56.   You should have done it 18:42  |  Paolo 17/05/08
      57.   Hamas wants "truce" not "peace" 18:57  |  Israel Supporter 17/05/08
      58.   Clickfool #40 19:01  |  Sabra 17/05/08
      59.   Freed Gaza is overdue for a clean up 19:07  |  Al 17/05/08
      60.   The importamt Issue 19:08  |  Jim 17/05/08
      61.   #1 Free Gilad Shalit 19:25  |  Jim 17/05/08
      62.   #4 Natalie Durson "Hamas is not offering discounts" 19:51  |  H 17/05/08
      63.   peace should not depend on the release of one prisoner 19:59  |  Fred 17/05/08
      64.   #10 Cipora Julianna Kohn Don`t lecture us! 20:02  |  hamas 17/05/08
      65.   Hamas better listen to Egypt if they know what is good for them 20:02  |  Realist 17/05/08
      66.   #40 Clickfool what is it with you 20:08  |  H 17/05/08
      67.   Israel is blackmailing.They can attack Gaza 20:09  |  Jaffar 17/05/08
      68.   HAMAS IS BEGGING FOR A TRUCE 20:18  |  Robert 17/05/08
      69.   The major raid will come before Shalit is released 20:27  |  Murray the Mongoose 17/05/08
      70.   One Word will be enough to prove 20:39  |  Shimon Cleopas 17/05/08
      71.