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Moussa Abu Marzouk
Photo: Reuters
Photo: Noam Rotem
Gilad Shalit
Photo: Noam Rotem

Hamas leader threatens: If talks fail, 'we'll negotiate return of Shalit's remains'

'If Israel does not release 350 Palestinian prisoners as we demanded, we will hold on to Shalit and eventually negotiate on the return of his bones,' Abu Marzouk says

Moussa Abu Marzouk, deputy of Hamas politburo chief Khaled Mashaal, said the Islamist group would not release kidnapped IDF soldier Gilad Shalit unless Israel releases 350 Palestinian prisoners.

 

In an interview with Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Qabas, published Sunday, Abu Marzouk said if Israel does not comply with Hamas' demands "we will hold on to Shalit and we will negotiate the return of his bones (to Israel)."

 

Abu Marzouk told the newspaper Israel rejected Hamas' proposal for a ceasefire in the West Bank and Gaza, which, according to him, was conveyed through Egyptian mediators. He added that Hamas would cease to recognize Mahmoud Abbas as a legitimate president once his term ends at the end of the year.

 

"Then we will rest from this entire story called Abu-Mazen (Abbas)," he said.

 

Last week Mashaal told Sky News that "Gilad is still alive and we are treating him kindly while the Israelis treat our prisoners badly and everyone knows that."

 

Speaking to the Palestinian news agency Ma'an, Mashaal blamed Israel for the stalled negotiations on a prisoner exchange deal, saying the Jewish state had rejected most of the names on Hamas' list of prisoners it demands in exchange for Shalit.

 


פרסום ראשון: 04.06.08, 10:32
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