GAZA CITY, 11 July 2006 — Prime Minister Ehud Olmert defended the massive military offensive in the face of international criticism and calls for restraint as Israel pounded Gaza with more deadly airstrikes yesterday.
Hamas’ exiled political chief, however, insisted that the captured soldier at the center of the worst Middle East crisis in months and a two-week Israeli air offensive would not be freed without a Palestinian prisoner exchange.
Exiled Hamas political leader Khaled Mashaal — one of Israel’s most wanted men — convened a rare news conference in Damascus to declare that the soldier would not be freed without the release of Palestinian prisoners. “There will be no freedom for the Israeli prisoner without an exchange involving Palestinian detainees,” calling the soldier a “prisoner of war” whose life would therefore be protected.
Although Israel has flatly refused any question of a “swap”, one Cabinet minister did suggest the Jewish state would be prepared to free some prisoners, as had been under discussion before, if Palestinians first released Shalit.
“If the soldier is released, we could again consider a release of prisoners as we were doing before his abduction,” Interior Minister Roni Bar-On said.
Israel has repeatedly accused Damascus of supporting those behind the abduction and threatened to kill Hamas leaders in Syria, including Mashaal.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has also sent envoys to meet with Mashaal and Syrian leaders to discuss the fate of the soldier and Israel’s assault on Gaza.
Israel has pressed on regardless with its deadly offensive which saw three Palestinian gunmen killed yesterday.
“We haven’t set a particular timetable for this operation. We will continue in places, in time, in measures that will suit our purposes,” said Olmert, who is facing the biggest test of his premiership in the crisis.
“I think that once the Qassam shooting will be stopped and the terrorist actions against innocent civilians will be halted altogether, there will be no need for any Israeli action in Gaza.”
At least 50 Palestinians and one Israeli soldier have been killed since Israel tanks and troops poured into the Gaza Strip on July 5 in a bid to stop Palestinian rocket attacks and secure Cpl. Gilad Shalit’s release.
Four Palestinian teenagers, who local medical sources said were unarmed, died and another four people were wounded in the latest Israeli airstrikes over the Gaza Strip after dark yesterday.
Despite the mounting deaths, Israel has warned troops are likely to be in for the long haul, rejecting a call by Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh for a mutual cease-fire but denying it intends to topple his Hamas government.
“This government is terror,” he said, but “we have no particular desire to topple the Hamas government as a policy.”
— With input from agencies
