Mashaal: Israel impeding talks to free Shalit

Exiled Hamas politburo chief, Khaled Mashaal, accused Israel of hampering negotiations to secure the release of kidnapped Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit by refusing to release Palestinian prisoners in an interview broadcast Tuesday.

“Those who are blocking the negotiations on the release of Gilad Shalit are our Zionnist enemies,” Mashaal told Euronews. “It is (Prime Minister Ehud) Olmert and his team who are putting up the barricades and not listening to our demands. We are happy to go on with the Egyptian mediation on the subject of prisoner release. But when we present our list, Israel refuses.

"When Israel replies to our demands we will obviously liberate Gilad Shalit as soon as possible," promises Mashaal.

Mashaal met in Damascus this evening with Islamic Jihad leader, Ramadan Abdullah Shallah, and the leader of Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine - General Command, Ahmed Jibril.

Left to right: Jibril, Mashaal and Ramadan Abdullah in Damascus (Photo: Reuters)

The interview with Mashaal, which was conducted on Monday, came as Shalit's parents received a brief handwritten letter from their son.

Noam Shalit said after examining the letter that "there are many signs indicating that the letter is authentic. It conveys a message from Gilad – he is pleading, begging us to do everything we can to see that he is released form captivity."

The letter – which was preceded by two others – was relayed by Hamas as part of the group's pledge to former US President Jimmy Carter.

Military operation or prisoner exchange?

With talk of the negotiations to free Shalit in the background, the cabinet will convene on Wednesday morning to discuss the option of launching a large-scale military operation in the Gaza Strip.

On Monday Olmert met with Foreign Affairs Minister Tzipi Livni and Defense Minister Ehud Barak to discuss the possible operation. The three were joined by top defense officials.

A media blackout was imposed on the outcome of the meeting, so as to prevent any leaks from revealing sensitive information regarding Israel's plans.

Though the Olmert-Livni-Barak triumvirate believes a military confrontation with Hamas is inevitable – Barak, for one, believes the timing must be handled carefully, so as not to hamper efforts to free Shalit.

Senior Palestinian officials in Gaza say Egypt has stepped up its pressure on Hamas to be more flexible, so that a ceasefire deal that includes Shalit can be agreed on. A senior Palestinian source told Ynet that Egypt is demanding Hamas submit a new prisoner list instead of the current one that lists 300 prisoners, most of the names rejected by Israel as candidates for release.

Israel, the source said, has so far agreed to include 71 prisoners 'with blood on their hands' out of the requested 300.

Roni Sofer contributed to this report