Israel Matzav

Gilad Shalit moved to Egypt

A report in the London-based Arabic daily al-Hayat indicates this morning that kidnapped IDF Corporal Gilad Shalit has been transferred to Egypt in anticipation of being traded for 800 Palestinian terrorists. The report is based upon "a Palestinian source relying on credible Arab sources."

According to the same source, Hamas has recently agreed to relinquish the principle that the two parts of the agreement – Shalit's release and the freeing of the Palestinian prisoners - be held simultaneously, and consented to hand the captive over to Egyptian hands in exchange for Israeli guarantees regarding the swap.

Officials said that according to the current Egyptian mediation proposal, Israel will commit to the release of 800 Palestinian prisoners in three stages: 300 will be freed upon Shalit's transfer to Egypt, another 300 will be released when the Israeli soldier is handed over to Israel, and the remaining 200 will be freed by the end of 2006.

According to al-Hayat, Israel has accepted the deal, albeit with several conditions: The state will not release prisoners "with blood on their hands," and will not free Fatah's head in the West Bank Marwan Barghouti or the secretary-general of the Popular Front, Ahmed Saadat.

The report stated that the Palestinians have also agreed to the proposed deal, despite their insistence on the release of all women prisoners, and all prisoners that have been jailed in Israel for over 20 years, a demand Israel has repeatedly rejected.

This is just encouraging the next kidnapping.

As far as I can tell, if Shalit is now in Egypt, Israel has not yet released any prisoners. As usual, the government is saying that it knows nothing about this. I don't believe the Olmert-Peretz government. They are not credible.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 8:15 AM