Swap Talks Obstructed Due To Israeli Refusal To Release Arab Detainees

Monday November 16, 2009 20:30 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies

Osama Al Mazeeny of Hamas - Image Paltoday

Dr. Osama Al Mazeeny, a Hamas political leader in charge of prisoner-swap talks mediated by Germany and Egypt, stated that swap-talks are currently obstructed as Israel is refusing to release Arab detainees from the 1948 areas.

Al Mazeeny added that the Egyptian mediator is conducting a very active and positive role in mediation talks.

He said that Hamas insists on the release of Arab detainees and detainees from Jerusalem but Israel is refusing to hold talks on the issue.

Al Mazeeny told Al Quds Net that Hamas insists on its demands, and that he believes that the mediation of Germany will soon bear fruit.

“I cannot say we reached a dead-end”, he said, “But there are some main issues we need to discuss with the German mediator”.

The Israeli soldier, Gilad Shalit, was captured by the Palestinian resistance in June 2006. Hamas is demanding the release of 1000 Palestinian detainees, including detainees who were sentenced to high terms and spent many years in detention.

Israel rejected several names presented by Hamas and said that it is not willing to release what is calls “detainees with blood on their hands”.

Israel is also rejecting the release of Fateh leader, Marwan Barghouthi, and Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) secretary-general, Ahmad Saadat.

gaza strip | palestinian politics | news report saed at imemc dot org