Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit tells al-Hayat newspaper Israel and Hamas have already agreed on most issues ahead of swap deal, says only obstacle left is deportation of West Bank prisoners to Gaza. 'This is unacceptable from a moral and human point of view,' he adds
Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit says that most issues concerning a prisoner exchange deal between Israel
and Hamas
which would secure kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit's
release have already been agreed upon, and the only obstacle left is Israel's insistence on deporting West Bank prisoners to the Gaza Strip.
In an interview with London-based Arabic-language newspaper al-Hayat, Aboul Gheit said that Israel's demand to deport prisoners
was "unacceptable from a moral and human point of view."
Protest
Dozens rally outside PM's home; demand swift action for Shalit / Adva Naftali
Protestors gather across from Benjamin Netanyahu's Jerusalem home, say government's grace period is over, premier must take urgent action to secure kidnapped soldier's return
The Egyptian minister noted that "the number of prisoners to be released by Israel has already been agreed on, as were the stages of the release. Many arrangements have also been agreed upon, including the problem of some of the Palestinians holding an Israeli citizenship and the deportation from the territories."
He added that "the talks between Egypt and Israel on this matter have dealt with Israel changing its demands and accepting the Egyptian logic. We can guarantee that those freed will not harm Israel's security after their release. We are taking this on our shoulders, but the Israelis are insisting on deporting them, and this is unacceptable."
Asked for his opinion on the pressure exerted on Israel by the United States, About Gheit said, "President (Barack) Obama, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Senator George Mitchell (Obama's special Mideast envoy) and the national security advisor are all saying that the United States plans to present soon a Palestinian-Israeli arrangement based on mutual steps between the Israelis and the Palestinians on the one hand, and the Israelis and Arab countries on the other hand, until the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.
"This is why when the American administration carried out a move, this move causes a certain tension in its relations with Israel," he added.
The Egyptian FM believes that the Israel-US relations will not reach a collision, "as such an option will not be able to guarantee any movement towards negotiations and an agreement, because Israel may object. And therefore, if there is a little tension, it's only temporary. There are those who believe there is a rift between Israel and the United States, but we cannot accept this assumption."
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