Belangrijker dan de vraag of een gevangenenruil wel of geen onderdeel van het staakt-het-vuren wordt, lijkt mij de wapensmokkel van Hamas via Egypte. Door toe te geven wat betreft Shalit kan men daar wellicht met recht zijn poot stijf houden. Stel dat Hamas uiteindelijk met de Israëlische eis dat een gevangenenruil deel is van het staakt-het-vuren, in zal stemmen, wat heeft Israël daarmee dan precies gewonnen? Voor zijn vrijlating zal men nog altijd rond de duizend Palestijnen moeten vrijlaten, waaronder terroristen die direct verantwoordelijk zijn voor vele Israëlische doden. Zoals de Libanese Kuntar zal een deel van hen zijn oude 'professie' graag weer oppakken. Belangrijker dan een levende soldaat redden is een hoop nieuwe doden in de toekomst voorkomen.
Ratna
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Israel denies Schalit not part of truce
Jun. 14, 2008
JPost.com Staff , THE JERUSALEM POST
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Israel insists that any truce agreement with Hamas will include the release of Gilad Schalit, held in captivity by Hamas for nearly two years, Army Radio reported Saturday.
Senior officials in Jerusalem have said as much to the station in response to a report carried earlier Saturday by the London based Asharq Alawsat.
The paper reported that Egyptian intelligence chief Omar Suleiman has convinced Maj. Gen. (res.) Amos Gilad, head of the Defense Ministry's Diplomatic-Security Bureau to abandon Israel's demand Schalit's release will be part of any truce agreement.
An Egyptian source told the paper that during a visit to Cairo on Thursday, Gilad presented Suleiman with Israel's response to the latest Egyptian offer. According to the source, Israel expressed concern on the subjects of weapons smuggling into Gaza and Schalit's release.
The source added that Suleiman convinced Gilad not to tie Schalit's issue with a declaration of ceasefire. Suleiman reportedly pledged that Schalit's release will be addressed immediately after a ceasefire agreement will go into effect.
The source said that despite his reservations, Gilad agreed to Suleiman's offer. The outcome of Egypt's mediation effort is expected to bear fruit in the coming days.
A Hamas delegation is expected to arrive in Cairo Saturday to hear Israel's response to Cairo's latest offer, Army Radio reported.
It was not clear, however, whether Israel demanded that Schalit be released as part of a truce deal or only that progress be made on the issue of securing his release at a later date, as a second stage in the ceasefire agreement.
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