Mashaal: Negotiations for Shalit's release frozen because of Israel
'Israel did not allow for the release of prisoners serving lengthy sentences, and, as of now, negotiations for Shalit’s release are frozen,' Hamas politburo chief says. Shalit's father: Hamas to blame
Israel has rebuffed the release of most of the prisoners that Hamas has proposed as part of negotiations for the release of kidnapped Israeli soldier Corporal Gilad Shalit, Hamas politburo chief Khaled Mashaal said Saturday in an interview with the Palestinian Maan News Agency.
“Israel did not allow for the release of prisoners serving lengthy sentences, and, as of now, negotiations for Shalit’s release are frozen,” he said.
Gilad Shalit's father, however, said Hamas was to blame for the stalled negotiations on his son's release.
"The talks on Gilad's release have been suspecded due to differences of opinion between Hamas' leadership in Gaza and its leadership in Damasuc," Noam Shalit said, "Mashaal is the one who is not willing to resume the negotiations."
According to Mashaal, the negotiations for a lull between Israel and Hamas, mediated by Cairo, are failing because Israel reused to commit to the ceasefire's terms. "We won't plead for calm, and Israel must be committed to any lull in violence," the Hamas leader said.
Mashaal added that Israel, with the support of the Bush administration, is seeking a new war in the region.
Referring the inter-Palestinian rift, Mashaal said "Hamas wants to complete four years in government - then you can judge us."
Earlier this week Noam Shalit cast harsh criticism over what he said was Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's "hesitance" in the negotiations on a prisoner exchange deal with Hamas.
"Olmert claims that great efforts are being exerted (to free Gilad Shalit), but I can only assess the situation according to the success rate – which currently stands at zero," the soldier's father told a solidarity rally held at Bar-Ilan University.
