Gilad Shalit
צילום: נועם רותם
Hamas says nothing new in Shalit deal
Prisoner Affairs Ministry in Gaza claims surprising visit by German mediator Gerhard Conrad to Egypt was only intended to distract attention from hunger strike of Palestinian prisoners held in Israel
Hamas' Prisoner Affairs Ministry in the Gaza Strip claimed Tuesday that the surprising visit by German mediator Gerhard Conrad to Egypt was only intended to distract attention from the hunger strike of Palestinian prisoners held in Israel.
Ministry spokesperson Riad al-Ashkar claimed the purpose of the trip was to promote Israeli interests and to deceive the world. He added that there was no news on a possible prisoner exchange agreement.
Related stories:
- German mediator visits Cairo to renew Shalit deal
- Hamas warns: More of Shalit's kind to come
- Report: Israel compromises on demands in Shalit deal
The German official reportedly came to Egypt in order to renew negotiations between Israel and Hamas over a swap deal, including the release of captive soldier Gilad Shalit.
On Monday, a senior Hamas official warned that Israel's continued refusal to elasticize its position regarding the Shalit prisoner deal will only fuel Hamas' "need" for the abduction of more Israeli soldiers, to be use as bargaining chips.
"More of Shalit's kind are coming," Hamas lawmaker Ismail al-Ashqar vowed, adding that the "efforts to kidnap soldiers will continue until all Palestinian prisoners are freed."
He said that Israel's refusal to meet Hamas' demands will not prompt the group to "bow to Israeli pressure"; and reiterated that the demands made in exchange for the captive soldier were nonnegotiable.
Reuters contributed to this report
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