Israel passes response on prisoner swap to Hamas

Tuesday, 22 Dec, 2009

GAZA: A German mediator was expected on Tuesday to give Hamas the Israeli response to a prisoner swap deal that would secure the release of a captured Israel soldier in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held marathon talks with ministers late into Monday night on whether to answer Hamas’ demands, which include the release of senior militants responsible for attacks that killed dozens of Israelis.

A source close to the negotiations, who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity, said Israel had passed on its decision, but offered no further details. The source said it was up to Hamas to decide whether it would accept the Israeli position.

Netanyahu’s office put out a terse statement after late-night talks with cabinet ministers ended, saying only that the Israeli leader had instructed his negotiating team to continue efforts to bring home 23-year-old soldier Gilad Shalit.

Shalit was captured by militants who tunnelled into Israel from the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip in a 2006 raid.

Egypt and Germany have been mediating the prisoner exchange, which officials have said would set Shalit free in return for about 1,000 of the 11,000 Palestinians held in Israeli jails.

The father of the captured soldier, Noam Shalit, said after being briefed by Netanyahu during a break from the ministerial consultations that began on Sunday: ‘I’m still not optimistic, but I’m also not pessimistic.’

For Netanyahu, a right-winger whose tough dealing with militants has been a centrepiece of his political career, the release of prisoners with Israeli blood on their hands poses a particular dilemma.

Netanyahu is also under pressure from the families of Israelis killed by Palestinian militants not to agree to their release.

Israeli media reported Netanyahu was intent on barring convicted killers from returning to homes in the occupied West Bank, territory near Israeli cities, and that they might be sent instead to the Gaza Strip or foreign countries.

The official close to the talks, who spoke to a Reuters correspondent in the Gaza Strip, said Hamas was unlikely to soften its demands, and that ultimately any deal would have to be approved by leaders of the group living in exile.

An exchange in the coming days would coincide with the first anniversary of the offensive Israel launched in the Gaza Strip last Dec. 27. At least 1,400 Palestinians and 13 Israelis were killed in three weeks of heavy conflict.

The United Nations and Western powers hope a successful swap will open the way to a relaxation of Israel’s blockade of Gaza, where 1.5 million Palestinians are dependent on food aid and smuggled goods for daily survival.

Netanyahu has given no indication he would ease the restrictions after a deal with Hamas, a group that has spurned Western demands to recognise Israel and renounce violence. — Reuters