Israel frees six Hamas leaders arrested after Shalit abduction

used by israel to justify the arrest and/or detention of palestinians...it's a catchall charge for when no actual reason exists for detaining them. these men were arrested where? and in whose territory is the said organization illegal? if i was them i'd sue.

If Netanyahu really wants peace, he will dump the corrupt, inept PA and open Gaza borders and talk directly to Hamas. They have more in common with the average Palestinian than the lowest level PA official. The PA officials are willing to give up everything as long as they keep their "vip" cards. The Palestinians will not trust any deal Abbas might sign.

and firing missiles at Israeli civillians,that is war. In war both sides take prisoners,the difference is Hamas does not allow Red Cross visits. PS they are not MK's

wrong west-bank also vote for them! thank to your goverment and bush after they push Abbas to have election and they where warn that hamas may win!so please you may live there but you dont know what you are talking about! open your eyes blind man

"Israeli defense officials say the ministers had just completed their prison terms . . ." - AP This is a non-story.

In return for Shalit Israel should also release all the hostages it holds.

Dressing a pig in a tuxedo doesn't conceal the fact that it's still a was and is a terrorist Israel didn't elect them, Gazan's did, so they have no immunity under Israeli law Invariably those that were arrested also had prior Hamas terror activity involvement, otherwise they wouldn't have been elected

Dressing a pig in a tuxedo doesn't conceal the fact that it's still a was and is a terrorist Israel didn't elect them, Gazan's did, so they have no immunity under Israeli law Invariably those that were arrested also had prior Hamas terror activity involvement, otherwise they wouldn't have been elected

Why not release these individuals after installing a device in their brain that will release a lethal dose of poison to make them to die instantly if they are found to be getting involved in terrorist activities again.

Since it is also an offence in Canada to belong to a terrorist organization such as Hamas. Be thankful that our government declined sharia law being instituted for the "moslem community" otherwise Toronto would start looking like London

Just like those other South African IDF members. The IDF is the Israeli Defense Force, nothing to do with SA. Nuff said.

How else could it have gotten away with hijacking a boat carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza? In international waters? Israeli pirates to kidnapping non-violent passengers, forcing them at gunpoint to Israel, imprisoning them and charging them with being in Israel illegally? Passengers included a former US Congresswoman and a highly-respected Nobel peace prize winner. Only Israel gets away with this kind of criminal behavior. Israel could probably kidnap Obama and somehow get a pass from the U.S.

We need to arrest more murdering Hamas not free the ones already justly serving time.

There is no political wing of Hamas. Hamas is a pure terrorist organization and all it's members are terrorist. They should be in prison for life.

"I suggest you check why they were arrested" says Fredyr. They were arrested for being members of a political party Fredyr, according to the Israeli government, clearly to be held as bargaining chips for Shalit. Democratic countries don't arrest opposition MKs because they don't like their views. They have to prove criminal action. Israel behaves like Iran or any other police state, where prominent opponents are jailed and held for long terms without charge. 'Quacks like a duck' makes a political not legal case. Israel arrests the elected Speaker of the Palestinian Legislature for the crime of being... err ... elected. He is a prominent Hamas member on record as saying the Hamas charter is a dream and no longer practical. A funny opponent to arrest eh QLAD? I "really am ignorant though", according to Fredyr. Terrific debating style in Israel maybe Fredyr, but that kind of personal invective is generally seen as uncouth and intellectually vapid elsewhere.

Can someone explain how it is that Israel has arrested these people when they are not living in sovereign Israeli land? If Israel took these people into their custody on land not sovereign to Israel, then the correct word would be kidnapped or captured. I would have thought that a country can only arrest citizens of the that country. Ambiguity working to Israel's advantage again.

Israel is a joke of a "democracy." There's not one democracy in the world that is taken seriously, that kidnaps elected members of other governments. It's amazing that Israel is public with its flagrant violations of international law. That's okay. Soon, Israel's will be legally arrested for war crimes, just like those South African IDF members that will soon be behind bars (with others to follow). The world is watching.

Gilad Shalit is a small pawn being used for political purposes blatantly by Hamas but also not so blatantly by Israel, they do not want him back as the longer he stays the longer Israel can play the Gilad Shalit so i tell his family and friends to protest to the government for his release.

Discrimination. Apartheid.

How many people have been release for/before/in lieu of etc. etc. of the so called imminent release of Gilad Shalit, who never really gets to go?

When a 'political party' stages a coup, tosses its opponents off buildings, breaks their kneecaps, sends suicide bombers to murder innocent civilians in busses and restaurants, praises them for doing it publicly, and targets its rocket fire at civilians, (i.e primarily uses violence and not politics to achieve its ends) odds are it's a terrorist organization and not a 'political party'

You really are ignorant. I suggest you check why they were arrested. Israel is a democracy or they would have stayed in jail till Gilad Shalit was safely home with his family. I wish we had more bargaining power to get Shalit home. It is Hamas who entered Israel and kidnapped a young man not vice versa.

Hamas members arrested by Israel should remain in custody until Shalit walks out. Period! No excuses for this.

elected Palestinian MKs for being members of a political party. Even Cromwell and McCarthy didn't go so far. Is there any real democracy or rule of law in Israel, or do the politicians just get to make it up as they go along?

a GIFT for Abbass...some hamass politico agents to further weaken him and fatah-- keep those awful fatah/hamass relationships at each others throats. ...fan those fatah/hamass political separation flames by adding back hamass politicos into the fatah/hamass mix. A fatah feud keeps them off balance & is an Israeli insurance policy. Keeps Iran and Syria stepping on their own and each others toes too. Divide and relax! Have a piece of fruit! Watch them fight and weaken! Keep them politically in-fighting each other so they won't be as effective against Israelis. They don't want 2 states, they want the one state that doesn't belong to them!