Special Report:
Palestine-IsraelConflicts
by Zhang Yanyang
JERUSALEM, Feb. 23 (Chinese media) -- Israel has made the release of its captured
soldier Gilad Shalit a vital condition to the lifting of the border blockade on
the Gaza Strip, while Hamas' counter demand might prove too high a price for the
Israeli government to accept.
"The crossings are open and will remain open to humanitarian aid, but
Israel's decision on any further widening would be dependent on the release of
Gilad Shalit," Israeli Prime Minister's Office spokesman Mark Regev told local
media last Wednesday.
Israeli Interior Minister Meir Sheetrit, a member of the powerful security
cabinet, also said last Wednesday on Israel Radio that "we need to know there's
an agreement in which Gilad returns home. That's a basic condition. If not, so
what, let Hamassuffer, we don't open the crossings."
Opening the border is a key demand Hamas raised in the Egypt-brokered truce
talks. The Islamist group insists that materials like steel and cement be
allowed into the enclave for reconstruction following Israel's 22-day massive
offensive that devastated much of Gaza's infrastructure.
However, Hamas refused to link Shalit, who was taken hostage by Palestinian
militants in a cross-border raid in 2006, with the ceasefire deal under
negotiation.
Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum has said that the movement does not object to
Shalit's release if Israel meets its demands on freeing Palestinian prisoners,
but he did not mention any connection between the Shalit issue and the truce.
"Both sides really want to end the case of Gilad Shalit. Both sides are
really desperate to come to a conclusion, but they are finding it very difficult
to climb down the tree," Khaled Abu Toameh, a Palestinian affairs analyst, told
Chinese media on Monday.
The release of prisoners who were directly involved in deadly attacks in
Israel is a highly controversial issue in the Jewish state. Yet Israel agreed in
the past to uneven prisoner swaps, exchanging large numbers of Arab prisoners
for its captured soldiers or their bodies.
Israel's outgoing Prime Minister Ehud Olmert "has a strong interest in
being the prime minister that was responsible for releasing him (Shalit) before
he leaves office," added the analyst.
The security cabinet said it would make up a list of names of prisoners to
be freed in exchange for Shalit, but it is unclear whether the list will match
Hamas'.
Furthermore, Israel might only release around 1,000 prisoners, which might
fall short of Hamas' demands.
"It is not really clear how many prisoners Hamas wants to be released.
There are conflicting reports of ranging from 1,000 to 1,500. That is why they
haven't made it official," Abu Toameh said.
"Hamas wants to show some sort of achievement. The release of 1,000
prisoners would be seen as an achievement by Hamas, and in the wake of the war
they need to show some kind of political achievement," he added.
Even after Israel and Hamas agree on the number and identities of prisoners
to be released, they would also have to come to an agreement on their eventual
place of delivery. Israel wants them to be cast out of the Palestinian
territories, but Hamas would want them to return to their homes.
Abu Toameh noted that once Israel agrees to release the prisoners, Hamas
would probably agree to deport at least some of the prisoners to Lebanon or
Syria. Senior Hamas official Mahmoud al-Zahar has said that they would not have
a problem if some of them were send abroad.
"If you are sitting in an Israeli jail, knowing that you killed60 Israelis
and that you will probably never see the light of day again, being deported so
you can celebrate victory abroad is not such a bad option," Abu Toameh said.
He noted that the suggested prisoner exchange would be the only way for
Israel to retrieve Shalit. "All other attempts to release him have failed. I see
no other way," Abu Toameh said.
Considering that Israel uses the Shalit issue "as an excuse not to open the
border crossings," he said that the issue "has become a burden to Hamas" and
that "the ball was really in Israel's hands."
The bargaining over Israel's lately proposed compulsory condition is all
but certain to darken the prospect of Egypt's mediation efforts for a long-term
truce between Israel and Hamas.
In an ill-boding sign, Olmert on Monday suspended senior defense official
Amos Gilad, who had served as the government's top envoy in the Egypt-mediated
truce talks, following reports that Gilad criticized Olmert for jeopardizing the
truce talks by linking Shalit's release with easing the Gaza blockade.
According to Gilad, the government's incoherent approach to the
negotiations was insulting to the Egyptians and might prove counterproductive in
its attempts to establish a long-term truce.
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