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| Israel-Palestine-Jordan |
| Mubarak rolls out red carpet for Peres, vows to seek prisoner swap |
| 2008-10-24 |
| Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak vowed on Thursday to rekindle Cairo's stalled efforts to broker a prisoner swap with Hamas, after talks with Israeli President Shimon Peres. Peres, welcomed with pomp and ceremony in the Red Sea resort of Sharm El-Sheikh, said Mubarak promised to step up efforts to secure the release of an Israeli soldier captured by Gaza militants over two years ago. Mubarak "promised me to increase the efforts to release Gilad Shalit that would effect not only one family but the entire people of the region," Peres told a joint news conference. "I hope the efforts to bring about his release will be increased and yield results." In recent months, Egypt has assumed a crucial role in mediating between Israel and Hamas, which does not recognize the Jewish state. Israel, along with the United States and the European Union, blacklists Hamas as a "terrorist" group. Mubarak "confirmed Egypt's efforts to bringing positions closer that would lead to the agreement for the release of Shalit and Palestinian prisoners." Hamas has demanded that Israel free about 1,400 Palestinian prisoners. Approximately 10,000 Palestinians are held in Israeli jails, including hundreds of women and children, many of whom have never been charged. Mubarak denied that the prisoner exchange talks had failed: "We have not failed ... The Israeli side knows perfectly well what Egypt is doing in regards to Shalit." Hamas seized control of Gaza in June 2007 after routing forces loyal to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Last June, Israel and Hamas agreed to a six-month Egyptian-brokered truce in and around the Gaza Strip, ending months of fighting. However, little visible progress has so far been made in the talks on a prisoner exchange, with Israel voicing reluctance to free many of those demanded by Hamas. The two leaders also discussed Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, which have been put on hold pending the formation of a new Israeli government following Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's resignation. |
| Posted by:Fred |