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| Israel-Palestine-Jordan |
| Egypt: Gilad Shalit for 600 prisoners |
| 2006-08-15 |
| Or the Israelis could demand Shalit and $100 million cash or artillery will walk the length and breadth of Gaza. Egyptian mediators have presented Hamas and other groups with a new proposal aimed at ending a six-week-old standoff over an Israeli soldier seized near the Gaza strip, Hamas officials said on Tuesday. A source close to the negotiations said the proposal called for Hamas to transfer Corporal Gilad Shalit to Egyptian authorities in return for Israel's release of up to 600 Palestinian prisoners, including women and minors. Another group of Palestinian prisoners, including many who have served longer sentences, would be freed by Israel at a later date. The Israeli government has so far rejected any prisoner swap for Shalit, who was captured by gunmen from Hamas and other groups in a cross-border raid on June 25. Israel responded by launching an air and ground offensive that has killed more than 165 Palestinians in Gaza, more than half of them civilians. "A new offer was made to the Hamas movement by the Egyptian security delegation in Gaza," Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri told Reuters, declining to discuss the proposal's contents. He said that the groups would not back down from demands that Palestinian prisoners be released in exchange for Shalit. "Hamas is still committed to its demand that there must be reciprocity in time and action," Abu Zuhri said. He also stressed the group was insistent that those freed fall under the categories of prisoners specified by the three factions holding Shalit. Hopes for end of sanctions on PA The Palestinian authority hopes that the end of the conflict in Lebanon will lead to an end of sanctions on the PA. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas met in Gaza on Tuesday with Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas to discuss the political situation in the region, pursuant to the clashes in southern Lebanon and to the internal changes within the authority itself, which include the possible formation of a unity government. Both sides expressed hope for a conclusion to the internal crisis in the PA, which has revolved around the issue of Gilad Shalit. Haniyeh said last week that he hoped a deal over Shalit could be reached soon, though he offered no details. A senior Palestinian official said Qatar had recently stepped in to help mediate between Israel and Hamas, stating that "Israel has made new offers to Hamas via the Qataris in return for Shalit." Political change in the area? Sources in the PA believe that the conclusion of the war in the Lebanon, as well as the willingness demonstrated by Palestinian factions to discuss a potential cessation of rocket fire and a focus of anti-Israel operations only against soldiers and settlers in the West Bank, could bring about political change in the area. During a meeting this week between EU foreign minister Javier Solana and Abbas, Solana said that it was clear that key to the conflict in the Middle East was the Palestinian issue. Sources close to Abbas told Ynet that Solana enumerated several EU proposals aimed at encouraging the Palestinians to facilitate an end to the Shalit crisis in order to bring about subsequent discussions in the international community involving a revocation of sanctions against the Palestinian Authority. |
| Posted by:ed |
| #12 Nope, no deal! You will only get the 72 raisins as the holy crayon states. |
| Posted by: kilowattkid 2006-08-15 18:07 |
| #11 Line the D9s up at the north end of Gaza then level and permanently retake one square mile of territory for each day Shalit remains in captivity. Repeat as necessary on the West Bank. |
| Posted by: AzCat 2006-08-15 17:58 |
| #10 Survival in the new world is not for pansies. Yet it is these pansies that are hamstringing all efforts to defeat terrorism. I'm beginning to think that people who refuse to take Islamic terrorism seriously actually abet it. |
| Posted by: Zenster 2006-08-15 17:13 |
| #9 We really don't know if he is alive, but if he is, the door is open to put an end to this permanently. Make the trade. Welcome home Gilad. Then, attack and annihilate them. Kill thousands before you declare a victory. Survival in the new world is not for pansies. |
| Posted by: wxjames 2006-08-15 17:08 |
| #8 I think the 600:1 ratio is an accurate reflection of the casualty rate inflicted by either side. Is it just me or does this vastly disproportionate offer offend all sensibility? Who are these f&ckwits and how do they summon the gall to even propose such a preposterous notion? More importantly, how can this world continue to ignore the routine extortion (because that is what this essentially is) practiced by Islam in all of its dealings with outside cultures? Israel would be well within its rights to summarily execute anyone who comes forward with such an insulting offer. |
| Posted by: Zenster 2006-08-15 16:39 |
| #7 Actually, one Jooooo is worth 1200 Paleos, but the Egyptians are trying to get the two sides to meet each other half way. |
| Posted by: Darrell 2006-08-15 15:43 |
| #6 Boy, if I were a Paleo, I'd be offended and would seethe. I think Egypt just told them that one Jooooo is worth 600 Paleos, or am I reading that wrong? |
| Posted by: BA 2006-08-15 15:34 |
| #5 If I was Israel I would take it of course thou how I understand that proposal it says no were that the 600 have to be transferred alive. This is just more evidence stacked onto the piles already of why the DEATH PENALTY is so important to civilized society. If Israel had such this would not even be a issue. The sad part is I believe Israel will agree and even further humiliate US more than they already have. I feel for the Israeli people but you get what you vote for. |
| Posted by: C-Low 2006-08-15 14:32 |
| #4 I thought their release was to be unconditional? |
| Posted by: gorb 2006-08-15 14:23 |
| #3 How about Gilad Shalit or we take over ALL of your oil wells? |
| Posted by: newc 2006-08-15 14:18 |
| #2 How about one executed Hamas MP per day til he's released? |
| Posted by: Frank G 2006-08-15 14:09 |
| #1 Forgot to specify the category, but somehow it fits. Tales of kidnapping and ransom with Egypt playing the pimp. |
| Posted by: ed 2006-08-15 14:04 |