Hamas: Israel has 2 days to accept Shalit deal
German mediator reportedly brings final Hamas offer to Israel; Hamas denies French doctors visited Shalit.
By Jack Khoury and Avi Issacharoff Tags: Gilad Shalit Israel newsA Hamas official said Sunday that Israel has 48 hours to accept its demands for a prisoner swap deal that would see the release of abducted Israel Defense Forces soldier Gilad Shalit, Al-Jazeera has reported.
The official's remarks came as the German mediator brokering the negotiations alongside Egypt reportedly arrived in Tel Aviv to present Hamas' final offer in the deal.
Both Egypt and Hamas, meanwhile, have denied a report that French doctors had visited Shalit last week at the secret location in which he is being held in the Strip.
Shalit's father, Noam, also told Israeli media that he had received no information regarding any such visit.
Hamas strongman Mahmoud Zahar told Haaretz by phone that there was absolutely no truth in the report, which was carried by both the London-based daily Al-Hayyat and the BBC's Arabic service.
According to the report, the doctors reportedly accompanied the German mediator involved in Israel-Hamas negotiations for the release of Shalit, who was kidnapped in a cross-border raid by Gaza militants more than three years ago.
The physicians, who each specialize in different areas of medicine, traveled to the Strip from Cairo, and entered the Hamas-ruled territory via the Gaza-Egypt border crossing at Rafah, Al-Hayyat reported. According to the paper the doctors gave Shalit a full medical checkup.
Israel Air Force drones flew above Gaza while the doctors were visiting Shalit, the paper said. The German mediator had reportedly pledged to Hamas that Israel would not strike the abducted soldier's hiding place or try to rescue him, despite the fact that the Israel Defense Forces was monitoring the doctors' visit.
The paper further reported that Shalit is being held at a location that is booby-trapped and from which he has no chance of being rescued alive. According to Al-Hayyat, the checkup was another confidence-building measure in order to advance the developing deal to secure the soldier's freedom.
Meanwhile, Hamas is continuing to hold out on its final answer to the proposal from Israel on the deal, which was delivered by the German mediator. According to Arab media reports, the impression is that the Islamist militant group is trying to evade offering a response for as long as possible.
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Abducted IDF soldier Gilad Shalit. |
| Photo by: (Reuters) |
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Gilad has been gone for over 3 yrs. What is with a 48 hr deadline. Hamas could have said 24 hr deadline or 72 hr deadline. And what happens if the deadline is not met. Do they shoot him or do they make more outlandish demands or do they just say f-you and we will hold him forever. My point being that this is typical of Hamas mentality.
Can you make your comments any less relelvant, any more irrelevant??? Gilad hasn't "lived" in Gaza for the past three years. Furthermore, have you??? Gravity is losing its grip on you! Apogee.
Hamas is making an obvious end run around sound Israeli strategic policy by appealing to the schmaltzy side of Israeli politics and public opinion. A reasonable offer would recognize the final deal requires more than a few days of study by military and intelligence agencies before presentation to the cabinet plus time to make concrete arrangements for the deportation of many of the released prisoners. Much better to walk away and tighten the economic screws on Hamas. Neither Shalit or Hamas are going anywhere anytime soon. Schmaltzy thinking clogs the cerebral arteries of government officials who ingest this tasty but dangerous treat.
Time to play dirty hardball and cheat Hamas of victory. The moment Shalit sets foot on Egyptian soil he is protected by an elaborate set of international rules of law and treaties and any third-party understandings reached with Hamastan become null and void. Once Shalit is in Egyptian custody Israel should tell Hamas to F--OFF and demand his immediate repatriation from Egypt without delay, precondition, terrorist releases or ransom. The situation changes from hostage negotiation between outlaws and Israel to a delicate but logical and straightforward diplomatic situation between two at peace sovereigns. Next, get even big-time for the trouble!
They trade with anything ! Even with honesty ! That is why they failed to be a friends even among themselves. As one can see them many sects & tribes no one of them in peace ! Shalit is an example of their greed & cruelty ! "Side by side" ! the everlasting joke ! Time for the Left to shut up !
"A Hamas official said Sunday that Israel has 48 hours to accept its demands for a prisoner swap deal" Or what?????
MD ????????? nd talking like this ?? where is your oath ?
Stop all negotiations and tighten the economic screws on Hamas.
I am sorry he is a celebrity, by you. I think in most society it would be called a kidnap victim...........
shalit denied family visits or red cross visits, Arab prisoners allowed. needless to say if there were 10,000 jewish prisoners, they would each receive the same kind of barbaric treatment. so i don't care that there are 10,000 arab prisoners and only 1 israeli.
As a Gaza resident for three years, perhaps the redeemed Shalit will provide some insight on the difficulty the residents encounter as part of their normal lives. The fact that Hamas would import a doctor from France shows that Shalit is receiving far better care than the normal Gazan can expect. Still, Israel seems in no hurry to reclaim their soldier. If he becomes slightly shop worn as time goes by, don't blame it on Hamas.
any deal with Hamas: "pig in a poke"...
10/11 k Arab prisoners, many of whom are basically victims of the occupation measures, are forgotten while, an Israeli soldier captured in an audacious raid is at the center of world daily attention. Some Arab newspapers (most of them are owned by Arab governments or inner circles), ups the odds by maling noises and sensational rumors. It is like that Arab societies are without urgent problems that need focusing. Arab peoples must be angry and resentiful, and that will not bring about justice and peace to this area.
Did you notice that in spite of Mahmoud Zahar denial , neither Al-Hayyat nor Haaretz reports inform the readers about Shalit's heatlh status . Quote " Shalit is the passport home for some Palestinian POWs.." more likely , same as the passport to pal state gradual fabrication over all of Israel territory is done thru Dhimmedias manupaltions , arab terror/extortions/threats, NGO's and UN demonisation and delegitimation of Israel , diplomatic coercions extracting Israelis concessions . But when you know that these terrorists will again commit acts of terror , They should be thus expelled instead of being transported to Gaza and/or to the Jewish biblical heartlands . Could expulsion deterr kidnapping ?
Nothing will happen for at least the next year or 2 years. Shalit is too much of a bargaining tool, once the Hamas let him go they will have nothing and Israel will have total power. Hamas are in no hurry to get the prisoners back, these guys can wait another 10 years,,the question is, how long can Israel wait????
Doctors... Shalit has be well looked after by the Palestinian people... Shalit is the passport home for some Palestinian POWs.. The Inmates of Gaza need to keep him in good health.
about time SOMEONE saw him!!!! where have the UN been??