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Hamas denies Israeli reports of Shalit's captors agreeing to Red Cross visit
Ma'an – An Al-Qassam Brigades spokesperson on Tuesday denied news reports that a team from the International Red Cross is to be allowed to visit captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit. Abu Ubayda told Ma'an that "Shalit's captors do not intend to let anybody visit him or deliver a message from or to him."

He described the news reports as suspicious as they came from Israeli sources. He also said that negotiations over Shalit had been suspended as the Israelis had rejected offers for a deal. The Palestinian factions, detaining Shalit are maintaining the same stipulations as before, he added.

Israeli military radio claimed on Tuesday that the Red Cross representative in the Gaza Strip had said that Shalit's captors had expressed a readiness to meet with Red Cross representatives and allow them to deliver a message from him to his family. Meanwhile, Israeli security services were dubious about the news stories, admitting that negotiations over that case will take long time.
Nobody's brought up Hamas' lack of adherence to any sort of legal norms -- starting with kidnapping the guy in the first place, through refusing to allow Red Cross/Crescent access. That's no doubt an oversight and the critiques should start pouring in any moment now.

Posted by: Fred 2007-12-05
http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=211406