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Moussa Abu Marzouk
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Report: Israel guaranteed Abu Marzouk's safety during Gaza visit

London-based Arabic-language newspaper al-Hayat says Jerusalem gave Cairo official assurances it would not harm Hamas' deputy politburo chief while he met with head of group's military wing in Strip

Egyptian Intelligence Minister Omar Suleiman was given assurances from Israel that Hamas' deputy politburo chief Moussa Abu Marzouk would not be harmed during his visit to the Gaza Strip last weekend, London-based Arabic-language newspaper al-Hayat reported Friday.

 

According to the report, Marzouk was traveling to Gaza in order to meet Ahmed Jabari, head of the organization's military branch, the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades. Jabari is rumored to have the final say on whether kidnapped IDF soldier Gilad Shalit will be released.

 

Al-Hayat further reported that Marzouk asked for the meeting in order to speed up the captive soldier's release.

 

"Shalit was taken by Hamas, the Popular Resistance Committees (PRC) and the Army of Islam, but Hamas has the final say on the matter. Jabari is personally responsible for him and has been involved in compiling the list of prisoners demanded in exchange for his release," said the paper.

 

The report went on to quote Egyptian sources as saying that Jabari "did not initially agree to a three-phase deal… It took the Egyptian mediator nearly four hours to convince him."

 

So far, Israel has agreed to release 150 Palestinian prisoners as part of the first stage of the prisoner exchange deal meant to secure Shalit's safe return.

 

The same prisoner list  also poses the main difficulty in the Cairo-brokered talks, as Israel, according to the report, "still contests some of the names on the list, although it has agreed to 220 of the 300 names submitted by Hamas.

 

"The Egyptian-led talks continue, but no date has been set for any direct talks between Israel and Hamas," said the newspaper. "It seems the time is not yet right to guarantee the success of such talks."

  

As for Jabari, al-Hayat said he was held by Israel for 15 years "and treated poorly." Israeli security forces apparently killed two of his sons, his brother and his son-in-law.

 

Jabari, concluded the report, "was once quoted as saying Shalit will learn to speak Arabic one day and that his time in captivity will be a long one."

 


פרסום ראשון: 03.06.09, 13:01
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