Hamas official in Gaza Mahmoud al-Zahar on Sunday announced he is withdrawing from talks with Israel towards a prisoner release aimed at Hamas releasing captive soldier Gilad Shalit.
Speaking with the German Der Spiegel weekly, the senior terror official placed the blame for the failure in signing an agreement on Israel, insisting Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu backtracked from previously agreed to issues pertaining to the deal.
He explains in the interview that despite the hardships involved, he did succeed in persuading Hamas politburo leader Khaled Meshal in Damascus to sign the draft agreement that would have resulted in the release of 1,000 terrorists, but Israel reneged.
He explained that he has exhausted his efforts leading the Hamas delegation and as such, he has decided to resign from the talks.
In his recent state visit to Russia, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu asked Russian leaders to pass a message to Hamas, that Israel’s last offer was Jerusalem’s final position and his administration would not exhibit additional flexibility towards obtaining Shalit’s release.
(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)
Join the official YWN WhatsApp status
4 Responses
Of course this tragically came to a dead end. And to think of all those articles prior to this where Israel made one good-will gesture after another. Let this be another lesson in the futility of diplomacy with arabs.
“I asked him for mercy, he gave me a gun. Now and again these things just got to be done.” Robert Hunter
I thought that already happened.
This deal was doomed from the start. Shalit is a good kid but you can’t endanger a COUNTRY to release one captured soldier.
moshiachnow,
i see youre a dead head? awesome!
i agree with you and with robert hunter