Report: Hamas won't demand Israeli Arabs be freed in Shalit swap
Al-Quds Al-Arabi: Hamas relinquished demand after realizing it would be a deal-breaker for Israel.
By Haaretz Service Tags: Gilad Shalit Hamas Israel newsHamas has acceded to a demand from Israel that no Israeli Arab prisoners be released as part of the deal being negotiated to free abducted Israel Defense Forces soldier Gilad Shalit, Channel 10 reported Saturday, quoting Arabic-language newspaper Al-Quds Al-Arabi.
Shalit was abducted by Gaza militants in a cross-border raid in 2006 and has been held captive since. Hamas has demanded the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners jailed in Israel in exchange for Shalit's freedom.
According to the Al-Quds Al-Arabi report, the original list of prisoners Hamas demanded be freed included the names of 20 Israeli Arabs.
However, sources told the newspaper that Hamas relinquished this demand after realizing it would be a deal-breaker for Israel. They added that this would be the first prisoner exchange between a Palestinian faction and Israel that would not include Israeli Arabs.
Earlier in the week, other news reports said the deal, which some sources say is imminent, hinges on a disagreement over whether to free15 Palestinians.
Among the contentious prisoners mentioned are Marwan Barghouti of Fatah; Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine secretary general, Ahmad Saadat; Amana Muna, the convicted killer of Israeli teenager Ofir Nahum; two other female prisoners who aided suicide bombers; and 10 other Hamas prisoners.
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Hamas badly needs a political boost among Pals who have become deeply disillusioned with its failed record of "government" in Gaza. Which is also why Hamas refuses to co-operate in holding another election. So much for being the "democratically elected choice" of the Palestinians.
difference between Israel and Hamas: Hamas, like Hezbollah demanding the return of Samir Kuntar the 4 year-old child murderer demands release of a woman who killed a young Israeli child also. I draw a distinction between Palestinian and Arab militants that target Israeli soldiers, and those that are straight forward CHILD MURDERERS. As an Israeli, I can tell you that I would never WANT an Israeli child murderer to be brought back. I'd say keep the monster. Meanwhile, these people are celebrities in the Arab world. Absolutely disgusting!