RAMALLAH: Israel conveyed Tuesday its terms to Hamas for release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for its captured soldier Gilad Shalit.
Officials familiar with the talks said Israel was intent on barring Palestinians convicted of killing Israelis from returning to the occupied West Bank and that they might be sent instead to the Gaza Strip or foreign countries. Hamas had accepted that some released prisoners would be exiled but wanted them to be able to choose their destinations, the officials said.
Hamas instructed its officials not to comment or disclose any information to the media. Top Hamas officials switched off their mobile phones or changed SIM cards to avoid answering journalists’ questions.
Hamas is demanding the release of around 1,000 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for Shalit, who was captured June 25, 2006 during a cross-border raid by Hamas-led armed groups.
An Israeli government official declined to confirm the Israeli media reports but said the question of whether certain prisoners would return to the West Bank or be deported was “clearly” an issue. It was unclear whether Israel had dropped its opposition to freeing 20 senior fighters whose release Hamas has demanded.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussed the swap with senior ministers on Monday. Netanyahu’s office issued a statement later saying the Israeli leader had told his negotiating team to continue efforts to free Shalit.
Hamas hopes a prisoner exchange would ease the Israeli and Egyptian blockade of Gaza, which has prevented the tiny territory from rebuilding after Israel’s war on the territory a year ago. Israel tightened access to Gaza after Shalit was captured. It then sealed off the territory, home to 1.5 million Palestinians, to all but humanitarian aid after Hamas violently seized power the following year.
— With input from Hisham Abu Taha and agencies
