Hamas: Shalit deal 'won't be for months'
Hamas legislator Mushir al-Masri threatens more soldiers may be kidnapped, warns Gilad Shalit will not be released until Palestinian prisoners freed. Group official says negotiations still have chance of succeeding, but composition of new Israeli government will likely delay them
No notable progress in the negotiations to secure the release of captive soldier Gilad Shalit, a Hamas official told Ynet on Monday evening. The efforts, however, are not being eulogized just yet.
The official cited the election of a new Israeli government as the reason no breakthrough was expected in the coming months. He also noted that tensions on the border between Egypt and the Gaza Strip, and
attempts by Cairo to push Hamas into the mix, will not affect the Islamic organization's position on the prisoner exchange deal.
Meanwhile Hamas legislator Mushir al-Masri, who heads the movement's faction in the Palestinian parliament, warned that all options were still on the table in the struggle to free Palestinian prisoners – including additional kidnappings.
He added that Shalit would not be returned to his family until Israel agrees to free all the prisoners Hamas is demanding.
Speaking at an event for Palestinian prisoners organized by the Waed Society, which works on behalf of detainees, al-Masri praised the Palestinians for operating against Israel and said that 'the resistance' was unshakable.
Al-Masri also launched an attack against rival Palestinian faction Fatah. The negotiations between the two movements are also stagnated.
The legislator accused the Palestinian Authority's security forces of betraying the Palestinian people by preventing armed Palestinian groups in the West Bank from kidnapping Israeli settlers and the soldiers guarding them.
Little optimism from the Shalits
Despite the decidedly pessimistic atmosphere, the campaign for Shalit's release goes on. Last week dozens of members belonging to the headquarters for the release of Gilad Shalit held a somber Passover
seder outside the private residence of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem.
The day before Gilad's parents, Noam and Aviva Shalit, met with Netanyahu for the first time since the latter took office.
They had little to say after emerging from Netanyahu's office, with Noam commenting that "there is no reason for optimism at the moment, though we still hope that things will change. I hope things will start moving."
