Israelis Close Border Crossing, Hamas Responds that Shalit Will Only be Released in Prisoner Swap

Hamas to Shalits: “Unless Israel agrees to pay the price we set, nothing will change"

Date: 19 / 10 / 2008  Time:  09:59
Gaza – Ma’an –

Hamas refuses to bow to Israeli pressures to release captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, and in particular the tactics of Saturday’s demonstrators who closed the Karem Shalom crossing into Gaza.

Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri responded to the demonstrators, who were demanding information on Shalit as well as his release during a demonstration that began by closing the Karem Shalom crossing in southern Gaza, and moved towards the site where the soldier was kidnapped in 2006.

“The Shalit case is dependent on prisoners swap,” Abu Zuhri explained. “He will never be released if the Israeli occupation government does not release Palestinian prisoners whom Hamas wants free, whatever the consequence might be.”

Abu Zuhri also said that the “Shalit family should know that it is the Israeli government which must be blamed for the stalls in the release of Shalit, which has everything to do with the competition between Israeli political parties.”

He continued, saying “Hamas is interested in bringing this case to an end, but not at any cost. Unless Israel agrees to pay the price we set, nothing will change despite all pressures.”

Israelis demonstrate, closing Karem Shalom crossing

Early Sunday dozens of Israeli protesters blocked the entry of goods into the Gaza Strip as they set fire to rubber tires outside the Kerem Shalom crossing point between Israel and Gaza, at the southernmost tip of the area.

The rally, according to the Israeli press, is a demand for information on the whereabouts and condition Shalit, who is believed to be in Gaza.

“This is our condition for opening the crossing,” the event organizer said.

The organizer of the rally is Yoel Marshak, from the United Kibbutz Movement's Special Assignments Division. He indicated that Shalit’s parents will attend the protest in the afternoon as it moves towards the site where Shalit was kidnapped in 2006.

The group will be accompanied by several military vehicles and small airplanes, as well as Knesset members.

Rally organizers did not indicate how long they intended to close the crossing, which is an alternative route for goods being transferred into the area. Karni crossing, about 35 kilometers north of the protest, is the main crossing point for goods.

Hamas calls on Egypt to release one of its members before ending Shalit case

Saturday October 18, 2008 14:29 by George Rishmawi - IMEMC & Agencies

Hamas demands that one of its leaders be released from Egyptian custody before letting go the captured soldier Gilad Shalit, Palestinian media sources reported.

“As long as Ayman Nofal is among detainees in Egyptian prisons the issue of Shalit will not move forward,” Al-Qassam Brigades leader Yousuf Farhat said last night.

This demand is seen as taking advantage of the proximity of Cairo talks with Israelis to prisoner swap.

The Israeli government has not responded positively to the list of prisoners nominated by Hamas for release in exchange of Shalit who has been captured in Gaza Strip since June 2006.

Egypt has taken a leading role in forging negotiations between Hamas and the Israelis on this issue. The central Gaza Strip spokesperson of the Hamas armed resistance wing is taking advantage of that role to garner the release of one of its members from Egyptian prison.

“We urgently request of the Egyptian government the immediate release of the Al Qassam Brigades commander detained in prison,” said Farhat.

Ayman Nofal’s extended imprisonment not only “hurts him but also serves the Israeli occupation,” Farhat continued.

Al Qassam Brigades staged a drill yesterday evening in the central Gaza Strip’s Al Bureij and Nuseirat refugee camps near the home of Ayman Nofal. A solidarity march began in western Nuseirat. Members of the armed resistance wing of Hamas said that Egypt was trying their patience.

Hamas political spokesperson Sami Abu Zuhari said that the continued detention of Nofal is a problem that has topped the agenda of all talks with Egyptian officials. He added that the remarks at Friday evening's event “reflect the frustration inside Hamas on this issue.”

Peres says talks on Shalit resumed but no progress was achieved

[ 18/10/2008 - 09:33 PM ]

OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, (PIC)--

Israeli occupation government president, Shimon Peres, said on Friday that talks with the Egyptian officials on releasing captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit was resumed but without achieving any tangible progress.

The Egyptian government was mediating between the Israeli occupation government and the Palestinian resistance factions holding the IOF corporal since June, 2007 with the aim to reach prisoner swap deal.

The Hebrew radio quoted Peres as saying that communications with the Egyptians on Shalit's freedom have resumed but he opined that talks would take "long time". Peres uttered his remarks as he visited Shlomo Ammar, the Sephardi Chief rabbi of Israel.

However, the veteran Israeli leader alleged that reaching a deal in this regard depends on the Palestinian party that "suffers of an internal rift".

Captors of Shalit tabled a number of conditions for his freedom, including releasing Palestinian female and children captives in Israeli jails in addition to 1,000 prisoners who have been in jail for a long time including chronically sick detainees.

Human rights organisations described the Palestinian demands as humanitarian, but the Israeli occupation government still rejects those humanitarian conditions.

Meanwhile, a high-ranking Israeli officer acknowledged that fortifying the costal city of Ashkilon in the 1948-occupied Palestinian lands from the locally made Palestinian Qassam rockets was an impossible task.

The Hebrew Ha'aretz news paper quoted the officer, without naming him, as saying, "We could fortify Nahul Oz and Sderut settlements but what about Ashkilon, Shdud, and Kiryat Hatt?".

The IOF officer was also quoted as saying that if Hamas had indeed, as we think, obtained rockets of 30 km range, then those cities would fall in the range of those rockets, and it would be difficult for us to fortify the multi-storey buildings in Ashkilon because "the Israeli economy couldn’t withstand the cost of the fortification process".

The Hebrew paper also confirmed that the Israeli occupation government busied itself in fortifying the Israeli settlements adjacent to the Gaza Strip exploiting the ongoing truce with Hamas in Gaza Strip.

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