Hamas: “Israel Is Deluding Its People, Obstructing Swap Deal”

Friday April 01, 2011 17:12 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies

Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, issued a press release accusing Israel, and its Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, of acting to sabotage internationally-mediated talks that aims at conducting a prisoner-swap deal.

Graffiti of Gilad Shalit In Gaza

The movement said that the “real reason that obstructs any deal is the stances different Israeli governments that obstructed any prisoner-swap deal”.

It also stated that Israel refuses to release 100 detainees named by the resistance as part of a list that includes the names of approximately 450 detainees.

Hamas said that the claims of Netanyahu and his accusations that Hamas is obstructing a prisoner swap deal “are baseless”, are meant to delude the Israeli public and the family of corporal Gilad Shalit who was captured by the resistance in June 2006; two Israeli soldiers and two Palestinian fighters were killed in the attack.

Netanyahu recently claimed that the real cause behind the obstruction of the deal is Hamas’ stance that demands Israel to release 150 senior leaders fighters, and allowing them back home instead of being deported.

Netanyahu demands that all released detainees should be sent to Gaza, or deported to Arab countries.

There are more than 8,200 Palestinian currently imprisoned by Israel; this includes dozens of women and more than 400 children.

Prisoner of War, Corporal Gilad Shalit is the only Israeli prisoner in Palestinian hands.

gaza strip | prisoners | news report saed at imemc dot org