Rally for Shalit's release
Photo: Ehud Tzoigenberg
Website: Hamas to meet German mission in Gaza on Shalit deal
Hamas-affiliated website quotes Palestinian sources as saying mediators expected to present Israel's final position on Shalit deal
A Hamas-affiliated website reported that senior Hamas officials will meet with a German mediation team in Gaza Strip to discuss the Shalit deal later Tuesday night.
The Al-Risalah website did not say whether the head mediator, Ernst Uhrlau, would be present at the meeting.
Palestinian sources estimated that during the meeting the German mediators will present Israel's final position on the prisoner exchange agreement, in which the Jewish state is expected to release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, some of them arch-terrorists, in exchange for captive soldier Gilad Shalit.
Earlier Tuesday, Arab sources familiar with the negotiations told Ynet that Uhrlau has asked Israel to reconsider its reservations in order to push the deal.
According to the sources, Jerusalem's demand to deport dozens of prisoners indefinitely and its refusal to release several leaders – namely Marwan Barghouti and Ahmed Sadat – as well as its refusal to free jailed Israeli Arabs imprisoned, are "too much" for Hamas to accept.
Meanwhile, Egypt is pressuring Hamas to make further allowances, Arab sources said.
