Robert Bandanza
February 2nd, 2010, 10:42 AM
02/02/2010 Negotiations between Israel and Hamas on the release of captured Israeli occupation soldier Gilad Shalit have "collapsed", Hamas official Mahmoud al-Zahhar told the BBC.
"As of now the process has failed," al-Zahhar said. "After the involvement of Benjamin Netanyahu, it appears we have gone one step back."
But Shalit's parents called on Hamas to be more flexible, for the sake of Gaza's residents. "Before the heads of Hamas declare a freeze in negotiations of a prisoner swap they should remember that in addition to holding Gilad hostage without basic human rights, they are also holding hundreds of thousands of Palestinian civilians hostage in Gaza for close to four years, in intolerable humanitarian conditions," a statement from the family said.
Meanwhile, on Tuesday morning, Activists from the Kibbutz Movement gathered at Gaza crossings in an attempt to hinder fuel trucks from crossing into the Strip.
The activists were demonstrating against the ongoing freeze in negotiations with Hamas for the release of Shalit, by hinting to the organization that supplies to Gaza would stop if more information on the captured soldier was not provided soon.
Yoel Marshak, who heads the Kibbutz Movement's task force, said the protest had two goals. "The first is to clarify to Hamas that if they hand over a crumb of information on the kidnapped soldier they will get fuel. If they don't, they won't," he said.
"The second is to call on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to stop dallying and end the negotiations for the release of the soldier. He needs to sign this deal already, and get Gilad back to his family."
Shalit was captured by Hamas and from two other resistance groups in June 2006. Although Israel is reportedly prepared to release about 450 detainees in exchange for Shalit, Netanyahu has vowed not to free several high-profile Palestinians who Hamas insist must be part of any deal.
Last month the Israeli premier told his Likud party that he would not release what he said "terror masterminds and never agree to the return of dangerous terrorists to the West Bank."
Netanyahu was apparently referring to Marwan Barghouti, the popular Palestinian leader who Israel holds responsible for instigating the 2000 outbreak of the second Palestinian intifada, or uprising.
Barghouti, who was elected to the governing body of the secular Fatah party of Western-backed Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas in August, is currently serving five life sentences for murder and his role in the intifada.
He is widely seen as the uprising's architect, including the scores of martyrdom bombers sent in by resistance armed groups.
http://www.almanar.com.lb/newssite/NewsDetails.aspx?id=122461&language=en
"As of now the process has failed," al-Zahhar said. "After the involvement of Benjamin Netanyahu, it appears we have gone one step back."
But Shalit's parents called on Hamas to be more flexible, for the sake of Gaza's residents. "Before the heads of Hamas declare a freeze in negotiations of a prisoner swap they should remember that in addition to holding Gilad hostage without basic human rights, they are also holding hundreds of thousands of Palestinian civilians hostage in Gaza for close to four years, in intolerable humanitarian conditions," a statement from the family said.
Meanwhile, on Tuesday morning, Activists from the Kibbutz Movement gathered at Gaza crossings in an attempt to hinder fuel trucks from crossing into the Strip.
The activists were demonstrating against the ongoing freeze in negotiations with Hamas for the release of Shalit, by hinting to the organization that supplies to Gaza would stop if more information on the captured soldier was not provided soon.
Yoel Marshak, who heads the Kibbutz Movement's task force, said the protest had two goals. "The first is to clarify to Hamas that if they hand over a crumb of information on the kidnapped soldier they will get fuel. If they don't, they won't," he said.
"The second is to call on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to stop dallying and end the negotiations for the release of the soldier. He needs to sign this deal already, and get Gilad back to his family."
Shalit was captured by Hamas and from two other resistance groups in June 2006. Although Israel is reportedly prepared to release about 450 detainees in exchange for Shalit, Netanyahu has vowed not to free several high-profile Palestinians who Hamas insist must be part of any deal.
Last month the Israeli premier told his Likud party that he would not release what he said "terror masterminds and never agree to the return of dangerous terrorists to the West Bank."
Netanyahu was apparently referring to Marwan Barghouti, the popular Palestinian leader who Israel holds responsible for instigating the 2000 outbreak of the second Palestinian intifada, or uprising.
Barghouti, who was elected to the governing body of the secular Fatah party of Western-backed Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas in August, is currently serving five life sentences for murder and his role in the intifada.
He is widely seen as the uprising's architect, including the scores of martyrdom bombers sent in by resistance armed groups.
http://www.almanar.com.lb/newssite/NewsDetails.aspx?id=122461&language=en