Senior Hamas official in Gaza Mahmoud Zahar announced on Wednesday that talks with Israel towards the release of Gilad Shalit in exchange for Israel’s release of prisoners have been frozen.
Zahar stated that the talks mediated by Egypt have come to a halt for two reasons; that Israel refuses to comply with the Hamas list of prisoners and both Egypt and Israel are not maintaining open border crossings for PA (Palestinian Authority) residents.
With Gilad Shalit having recently passed his third birthday in captivity, the committee working towards his release expressed frustration and anger at the lack of government action towards achieving this goal.
Defense Minister Ehud Barak commented during a tour of an IDF artillery exercise that he fears the public outcry and efforts towards Shalit’s release may have an adverse impact and inadvertently harm the government’s efforts. Critics of the government warn that the same messages were released by government officials after Ron Arad was taken captive in 1986 and they fear chas v’sholom Shalit may share the same fate.
(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)
Join the official YWN WhatsApp status
3 Responses
What a mess. What a mess!!!! I hope and pray he is safe. This is insane.
#1 poster you said it all…there is nothing else to add.. insane indeed!!
What would Mr. Olmert feel/do if one of his sons was (r’l) a prisoner of the terrorists? Why can he not feel the anguish of the family? How can Klal Israel allow this to continue, with the charade of peace talks wth avowed murders of Klal Israel?