Salah Al-Bardawil, the spokesman of Hamas parliamentary bloc, said that report of progress in indirect talks with Israel “completely false,” adding that his movement's attitude “toward negotiations with the (Israeli) occupation has not changed.”
The official’s remarks came a day after Arab media report said that Hamas had conveyed to Egypt its final demands in negotiations for kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit.
Al-Bardawil stressed that “there have been no talks or new progress in the prisoners swap deal, which could point to its completion in the near future.”
On Monday, Shalit’s father, Noam, filed a suit with the Paris District Court, asking the French justice system to investigate and take action against Hamas, which is holding his son.
Using a French legal action called “porter plainte contre x” the suit is being lodged against “persons unknown,” but clearly identifies Hamas as the group who kidnapped the young soldier, a dual French-Israeli citizen.
Since December 2009, the German mediator Gerhard Konard and Egypt had failed to finalize the prisoners’ swap deal for the release of Shalit in exchange with hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. The failure is due to differences between Hamas and Israel.
According to the recent Palestinian statistics, there are 6,700 Palestinians currently held in 23 prisons and detention camps in Israel and in the West Bank. There are 300 prisoners under the age of 18. Israel also holds 37 females and 17 members of the Palestine Legislative Council.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said recently that there will not be a peace agreement before the release of all Palestinian prisoners and detainees from Israeli jails.
