GAZA: Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak blamed Israel for the failure of the talks aimed at securing the release of kidnapped Israeli soldier.
Israel and Hamas were close to a prisoner swap deal for Gilad Shalit early this year before Israel pulled out at the last moment, Mubarak told an Israeli newspaper in an interview published on Friday.
The sides were about to agree on a deal that would have seen Palestinian prisoners released in return for Shalit, an Israeli tank crewman held by Hamas fighters since June 2006, but then Israel “got cold feet and turned everything upside down,” Mubarak told the daily Yediot Ahronot.
Mubarak said the Egyptian-mediated deal broke down “four or five months ago,” close to the end of the term of former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, when Israel refused to free some of the prisoners that Hamas wanted in return for the soldier. The comments were among the strongest Mubarak has made publicly about the reasons for the failure of the prisoner swap deal.
“Suddenly you told us, ‘no, we can’t release this prisoner, but this other prisoner who doesn’t even appear on Hamas’ list — we can release him,”’ Mubarak said.
Mubarak said he believes that Shalit, who remains in captivity, is in good condition.
Meanwhile, Hamas strongman Mahmoud Al-Zahar in Gaza blamed Israel for the deadlock in the negotiations on prisoner exchange deal that would secure the release Shalit. He added that Israel and Hamas agreed on 325 specific prisoners to be released, but could not find common ground on the remainder; Hamas reportedly seeks the release of 450 prisoners in exchange for Shalit.
— With input from agencies
