RAMALLAH: A senior Hamas official yesterday said that the indirect negotiations between his movement and Israel aimed at brokering a prisoner exchange are in a status of “coma.”
Osama Al-Muzaini, a Hamas spokesman and holder of prisoners’ portfolio, said in a press statement the talks will remain deadlocked until they are resumed by the new Israeli government. Egypt is mediating between the two sides.
“It will take time till we reach indirect talks with the new Israeli government,” he said. “I can’t say that the exchange deal died when radical (Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu took office. The enemy has no choice, after all the attempts to release (Israeli soldier Gilad) Shalit have failed. The Hamas movement will not change its demands and will not show anymore flexibility than it has shown in the last talks.”
Palestinian groups, including Hamas’ armed wing Ezzeddine Al-Qassam Brigades, are keeping Shalit captive since the summer of 2006. The groups are demanding Israel to free 1,450 prisoners in its jails, including 450 prisoners, who serve life imprisonment for killing Israelis, in order to release Shalit.
The former Israeli government of Ehud Olmert had failed to reach an agreement with Hamas following two marathon indirect talks held in Cairo last month. A new government led by Netanyahu was sworn in on Tuesday.
Olmert’s Cabinet approved in its last meeting several sanctions on the Hamas’ prisoners jailed in Israeli in bid to pressure the movement to release Shalit. The Cabinet approved stripping the prisoners of all privileges not anchored in Israeli or international law, such as an education, television, newspapers and radio.
The sanctions will include drastic limitations on family visits and the revocation of the opportunity to take high school matriculation exams or study at the open university.
In addition to sanctions on entertainment media, the prisoners will be subject to stricter guidelines regarding the transfer of money for use at the prison canteen. Another recommendation presented was to amend the law to prohibit administrative release and lawyers’ visits.
Meanwhile, the Shalit family had hoped that their son would return home by the time Olmert left office. “We, like the rest of the people of Israel, expect Gilad to come home and immediately so,” the soldier’s father, Noam, said.
“Unfortunately, this whole thing has turned into a cattle trade, instead of remaining a top national priority. All we heard were statements about changing stances and toughening stands.”
