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Supporters of the Shalit family demonstrating for Gilad's release in Mitzpeh Hila Wednesday. (Yaron Kaminsky)
Last update - 08:49 27/06/2008
Report: Israel prefers Hamas prisoners be released to Gaza, not West Bank
By Barak Ravid, Yossi Melman, and Jack Khoury, Haaretz Correspondents and Agencies
Tags: Gilad Shalit, Eldad Regev 

Israel prefers to release Palestinian prisoners to the Gaza Strip rather than the West Bank as part of its swap with Hamas in exchange for abducted Israel Defense Forces soldier Gilad Shalit, Army Radio reported on Thursday.

Defense officials fear that freeing the jailed militants into the West Bank could weaken Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and strengthen Hamas in Fatah territory, the radio said.

Israel also wants the authority to determine which of the prisoners will be released to Gaza and which to the West Bank, the radio said.
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Israel was to present Egyptian mediators in Cairo on Thursday with new formulas that it hopes will result in progress in the case of Shalit, who has been held captive by Hamas in the Gaza Strip since June 2006.

In a meeting in Cairo on Thursday, the Israeli official charged with the negotiations on the prisoners, Ofer Dekel, was to discuss Israel's new proposals to further the deal on Shalit with Egyptian Chief of Intelligence, General Omar Suleiman.

Dekel was expected to tell Suleiman that Israel expects Hamas to show greater flexibility regarding the list of prisoners it wants freed in exchange for Shalit.

Suleiman is scheduled to hold a similar meeting with Hamas representatives in Cairo next week.

Intensive indirect negotiations are planned at a later stage, where representatives of Israel and Hamas will be based in the same hotel, and the Egyptian mediators will shuttle between them with proposals and counter-proposals.

Nevertheless, senior Hamas official Osama al-Mazeini said Wednesday that the group is not willing to bend on its demands for the release of its prisoners.

"Israel has been given 350 names, and wants to release only 70 of them," al-Mazeini said. "Until all the names are approved, there is no chance for a deal.

The London-based Al-Hayat daily reported on Thursday that Cairo officials said that if and when an agreement is struck, Shalit would be moved to Egypt for one week, during which his family would be able to see him.

The report also said that Jerusalem told Egypt it would be willing to free prisoners that have killed Israelis, on the condition they are sent to other countries. Cairo reportedly rejected the suggestion.

According to the report, Shalit's transfer to Egypt would go ahead in the first stage of a deal, after 150 Palestinian prisoners are released from jail. With Shalit's return to Israel after one week, 300 additional prisoners would be freed, and after another two months, 550 more ? mostly women and children.

The talks held by Dekel and Suleiman on Thursday are to deal with the prisoners on Hamas' list who Israel refuses to free, said the report, due to their involvement in attacks that have killed Israelis. The Egyptian sources quoted by Al-Hayat blamed Israel for "foot-dragging" because it rejected the names submitted by Hamas.

Shalit family marks two years since Gilad's abduction

Meanwhile, hundreds took part in a rally in the Shalit family's hometown of Mitzpeh Hila on Wednesday to mark the two-year anniversary of Gilad's abduction.

Shlomo and Miki Goldwasser, the parents of abducted soldier Ehud Goldwasser, and Zvi Regev, the father of Eldad, also came to show support for the Shalits, as did the Avitan family, whose son's body was returned from Lebanon a few years ago.

In a special show of solidarity, Hen Arad, the brother of missing navigator Ron Arad, and Ron's daughter Yuval, were also present. For a moment it appeared that there was a resemblance between the two situations and families - and that it was forbidden to let the same thing happen again.

"Ron did not volunteer to be a pilot in order to be a gladiator, and Gilad did not join the tank corps to be a martyr. It turns out our leaders don't believe in anything," said Hen Arad at the rally, describing the country's political leaders as if they were the last of the Roman emperors.

"On my way here I thought of a fantasy, that if Ron had returned he would have stood in my place today with his daughter Yuval and told the families there is someone to rely on to return the soldiers home," said Arad.

During his speech he read part of his brother's last letter, where he asked his family to act to help bring him home.

Many young people came to the rally, including members of youth movements and some of Gilad's friends from school. One read an emotional letter to Gilad: "It is hard for us, Gilad, when we pass your house in our uniforms, when we see your picture in the newspaper and hear your name on the radio. And every time we are truly happy and before we fall asleep, we wonder if you know whether it is already night and whether you are sleeping."

Mordi Cohen of Mitzpeh Hila, who led the rally, called on the cabinet to make decisions and act from strength. "Do not give in to the demands of release, but to decide on releasing; force the Hamas prisoners with blood on their hands to save the life of an Israeli soldier," he said.

Noam Shalit read the speech his wife Aviva had planned to give. "Who would have believed that 731 days have passed and the prime minister who took full responsibility for the matter has not managed to reach an agreement on the return of Gilad? Who would have believed that 731 days have passed and Gilad still does not see the light of day and not even the light at the end of the tunnel."

Shalit called on Olmert to "make a decision, as difficult as it is, to return Gilad home. Gilad was sent by you on a mission and without any hesitation or deliberation he carried it out and was abducted. Gilad paid and is still paying an unbearable price. But the government needs to fulfill its ultimate moral responsibility to a soldier. Here there is nothing taken for granted."

Later Shalit called on Israeli mothers to wake up and cry out, and tell the prime minister clearly that two years of talking is enough.

At the end of the rally, two children set loose a flock of white doves, and amazingly the birds flew due South. One young girl asked her mother where they were going, and she answered: "To say hello to Gilad."

Related articles:
  • Negotiator heading back to Cairo for indirect talks on Shalit
  • Gaza border crossings stay closed in light of rocket fire
  • Noam Shalit: Gaza siege mustn't be lifted until Gilad freed
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      1.   just do it! 04:54  |  bashar 26/06/08
      2.   Sigh, it`s time to throw out the negotiators and send in the pro` 05:28  |  Jacob Blues 26/06/08
      3.   Trading live murderers for dead bodies 06:29  |  Carey 26/06/08
      4.   Oh - for God`s sake - just..... 06:45  |  Mary Ashkelon 26/06/08
      5.   Mary 07:19  |  Connie 26/06/08
      6.   #3 The simple answer, Mary 07:24  |  Johnboy 26/06/08
      7.   To #1 07:52  |  VLAD 26/06/08
      8.   bashar 08:33  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 26/06/08
      9.   who speaks for thousands 08:37  |  human being 26/06/08
      10.   just do it and get the poor guy home already!!!! 08:47  |  Lily 26/06/08
      11.   Jewish racism 08:58  |  Jacob White 26/06/08
      12.   Israeli arrogance showing again 09:24  |  Clickfool 26/06/08
      13.   AFTER 4 MAJOR WARS WITH EGYPT, THEY CONSIDER THEM FRIENDS? 09:30  |  PalestniansAreA Myth 26/06/08
      14.   AMONGST THOSE 70, SHOULD INCLUDED ALL 35 PARLIEMENT MEMBERS 09:38  |  indrajaya 26/06/08
      15.   Does Jacob White have his own comedy show 09:44  |  Big Al 26/06/08
      16.   Jacob White 10:20  |  x-ray 26/06/08
      17.   No pact with the devil the devil comes back any way lets just 10:29  |  lily 26/06/08
      18.   Just do it and we will deal with the same problems differently 10:31  |  lily 26/06/08
      19.   # 7 10:45  |  Mordecai Ben Natan 26/06/08
      20.   HUMANBEING.Being involved in terror attacts on Israeli civillians 10:46  |  PETER SM 26/06/08
      21.   To Jacob White: Jewish racism 10:54  |  Shai 26/06/08
      22.   Even if it is to a bunch of crooks 11:42  |  A mother 26/06/08
      23.   Even the heading does not bode well... 12:06  |  Esther 26/06/08
      24.   Proposal: Free Gilad or Have Gaza City Shelled 12:15  |  Baruch Gold 26/06/08
      25.   Idea: Take High Level Hamas Family Into Protective Custody 12:16  |  Baruch Gold 26/06/08
      26.   Peter SM: you are wrong...Israel is the real terrorist 12:47  |  human 26/06/08
      27.   What deterence is there if Terros know they will be released 12:49  |  Alan SA 26/06/08
      28.   Baruch Gold`s morbid dreams 12:54  |  KMS 26/06/08
      29.   While all this goes on those barbaric settlers are destroying 13:01  |  lakshmi 26/06/08
      30.   To the in-human #21 13:06  |  Hastaroth 26/06/08
      31.   # 1 is right,, both sides really can win on this one. And the 13:25  |  onlookers too! 26/06/08
      32.   HUMAN what was the excuse for targetting Israeli civillians 13:40  |  PETER SM 26/06/08
      33.   Shalit affair mishandled by Israel at every step 13:47  |  Natallie Durson 26/06/08
      34.   Then, at least, keep those whose hands are clean. 14:03  |  Vladimir 26/06/08
      35.   Israel keeps delaying, cannot afford to have Shalit released yet 14:06  |  Tosefta 26/06/08
      36.   #26, Tosefta, same nonsense every day 14:26  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 26/06/08
      37.   gilad has no chance to hurt hamas. atilla has .. all jewish world 14:34  |  ... 26/06/08
      38.   Free Gilad then deal with Hamas 14:34  |  Free Gilad Shalit 26/06/08
      39.   Prioners released to Gaza 14:35  |  Andrew Travers 26/06/08
      40.   You`re wrong Tosefta. Israel cannot afford to not make the deal. 14:37  |  And ASAP 26/06/08
      41.   You`ve heard it said, "Keep your friends close & your enemies 14:39  |  closer" 26/06/08
      42.   lakshmi "barbaric settlers" 14:42  |  dimple kapadia 26/06/08
      43.   Wisdom for apologists and Cipora J. Kohn #32 14:43  |  Mars H. Mallow 26/06/08
      44.   Tosefta...it really doesn`t matter 14:46  |  Lynn 26/06/08
      45.   A MOMENT OF TRUTH FOR HAMAS AND HEZBOLLAH 14:48  |  indrajaya 26/06/08
      46.   Israel should released them on hell 14:58  |  JP 26/06/08
      47.   human # 21 Where Did You Get That Information? 15:04  |  Jeff Northridge 26/06/08
      48.   HUMAN.How many Israelis have Pals TRIED to kill with 8000missiles 15:17  |  PETER SM 26/06/08
      49.   HUMAN.How many Israelis have Pals TRIED to kill with 8000missiles 15:17  |  PETER SM 26/06/08
      50.   Only right. 15:18  |  Jo 26/06/08
      51.   #34 kohn the interplanetary traveller bothered by facts 15:36  |  Labhras 26/06/08
      52.   #43, Tosefta, "thinking is like loving or dying" 15:36  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 26/06/08
      53.   And ASAP #40 15:43  |  Tosefta 26/06/08
      54.   Green Tosefta and recycled postings 15:47  |  x-ray 26/06/08
      55.   Israel should have prefered Jordan.... Pals need to go back 15:59  |  z 26/06/08
      56.   human - Your mother must be ashamed to raise a loser. 16:02  |  a 26/06/08
      57.   Peter SM: they fired 8000 fire-crackers...because 16:02  |  Human 26/06/08
      58.   Cipora J. Kohn #52 16:08  |  Mars H. Mallow 26/06/08
      59.   JeffNorthridge: you are talking to people who know 16:08  |  Human 26/06/08
      60.   and the solution is? 16:11  |  peter 26/06/08
      61.   HUMAN please send some photos of Gazans starving to death? 16:20  |  PETER SM 26/06/08
      62.   ANOTHER GREAT GIVEAWAY TO THE MARTYRS TO BE. 16:21  |  dav 26/06/08
      63.   Freedom fighters or terrorists 16:23  |  Palestinain 26/06/08
      64.   a...you must be a great intellectual!! 16:26  |  B 26/06/08
      65.   Cipora Julianna Kohn: Israel, not Hamas, is the 16:34  |  observer 26/06/08
      66.   If Israel is going to negotiate 16:36  |  Dave Duncan 26/06/08
      67.