RAMALLAH: A senior Hamas official yesterday accused Israel of thwarting several international mediations that aimed at brokering a prisoner exchange between the two parties.
Osama Al-Muzaini, a Hamas spokesman and holder of prisoners portfolio, said in a press statement that “the main mediator was Egypt but there were also several international movements which were disappointed when it collided with the Israeli hardness.”
Al-Muzaini said he cannot reveal who were the other countries “due to their intention not to be disclosed.”
Hamas captured Israeli soldier Cpl. Gilad Shalit in a cross-border raid near the Gaza Strip in June 2006. Hamas demands to exchange Shalit for more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners and insisting that it would select the names of the first 450 inmates to be freed.
Meanwhile, a Hamas source said that the movement “is undeterred by Netanyahu. He, as well as (Israel Beiteinu Chairman Avigdor) Lieberman and their other partners, will have to discuss our prisoners list.”
As for the allegations that Hamas is using Shalit not as a bargaining chip meant to guarantee a prisoner exchange deal, but rather as political leverage meant to force Israel — and the world — to recognize Hamas as a movement which must be made part of various dialogues, the source said that “we are familiar with this theory. To anyone who wants to test us we say one thing — comply with our demands and see how this deal comes together in lightning speed.”
