Subscribe to Print Edition | Sat., September 08, 2007 Elul 25, 5767 | | Israel Time: 08:42 (EST+7)
Haaretz israel news English
web haaretz.com
  Back to Homepage
Print Edition
Diplomacy
Defense Arts & Leisure Real Estate Jewish World National Advertising Magazine Week's End Business Opinion Rosner's Domain Anglo File Books Travel
Abducted IDF soldier Gilad Shalit. (Archives)
del.icio.us
Digg It!  new
Last update - 14:21 06/09/2007
Israel presents Hamas new proposal on Shalit deal
By Avi Issacharoff, Amos Harel and Jack Khoury, Haaretz Correspondents

Israel recently sent Hamas a new proposal in its negotiations to secure the return of kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit. However, no details of the proposal are known, and Hamas has not yet responded to it.

In addition, European officials from more than one country recently began mediating between Israel and Hamas over Shalit, a senior Hamas official said Wednesday. He declined to specify which countries, but said that he was not referring to Norway, which recently announced that it was involved in the issue.

The official added that the chief European mediator, whom he declined to name, is working according to the same guidelines that a German intelligence official is using, in his efforts to mediate between Israel and Hezbollah over the two soldiers that Hezbollah kidnapped last summer.

Advertisement
Egypt, the official added, is also still playing an important role in the negotiations, since it is well-versed in all the details of the talks to date. However, the one-time chief mediator has recently lowered its profile.

Also Wednesday, the head of the International Committee of the Red Cross said that Red Cross representatives might soon be allowed to visit Shalit - something Hamas has hitherto not allowed. Angelo Gnaedinger made the announcement following a meeting with Hamas prime minister Ismail Haniyeh in Gaza.

Gnaedinger said that he had asked Haniyeh to allow his organization access to Shalit, and that Haniyeh promised to consider the request. Palestinian sources confirmed this.

However, Haniyeh himself made no public statement on the issue Wednesday, merely saying that he hoped a prisoner exchange would be finalized soon.

Hamas kidnapped Shalit to Gaza in a cross-border raid in June 2006. A few months ago, Israel agreed to release 350 Palestinian prisoners - mostly from Hamas - in exchange for Shalit's transfer to Egypt, and another 100 upon his arrival in Israel.

However, the parties were unable to agree on which prisoners would be released. Israel rejected all but 40 of the names on the list Hamas submitted, because they had been involved in particularly deadly terror attacks. Since then, the talks have been on ice.

Compounding the stalemate, Egypt pulled out of its role as mediator after Hamas took over the Gaza Strip, following a week of pitched battles against Fatah in June. A month ago, Cairo said it was willing to resume its efforts, but it has done little since then.

Egyptian officials said recently that a deal with Hamas would be contrary to the interests of Egypt, Israel and the Fatah-led Palestinian Authority, since an Israeli release of prisoners to Hamas would merely strengthen the Islamic organization. Nevertheless, Israel wants to cut a deal, and therefore submitted its new proposal.

Moreover, Egypt itself is divided on the issue: the Foreign Ministry opposes the talks, but the intelligence services support them.
Bookmark to del.icio.us
Yes. I don't want to
Saying 'Insh'Allah' to Jewish bosses was the politest way of telling them 'I don't want to.'
What comes naturally
Jaffa-born photographer Amos Nachoum specializes in close-ups of large mammals.
  1.   Well... 19:21  |  Lisen 05/09/07
  2.   Hamas, being in the trade of bodies - live, dead and body parts - 19:47  |  Anat 05/09/07
  3.   Hamas feels the fire lit under their ass! 19:51  |  Jesus 05/09/07
  4.   It would be wise for Hamas to do so 20:15  |  Mark Lincoln 05/09/07
  5.   Mark Lincoln 20:32  |  Lynn 05/09/07
  6.   Raising Shalit`s Status 21:09  |  Mark of Lewiston 05/09/07
  7.   May Allow a visit... At what price? 1000 prisoners set free? 21:15  |  Avi 05/09/07
  8.   #4, I agree with Mark on this one 21:23  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 05/09/07
  9.   Hamas has been goading the IDF to attack for a long time 21:30  |  Natallie Durson 05/09/07
  10.   Hamas 22:15  |  Real Swiss 05/09/07
  11.   Lynn 22:20  |  Angela 05/09/07
  12.   Anat: Would you like to explain your thinking? 22:24  |  Angela 05/09/07
  13.   #7 Real Swiss.. the Olmert peace proposal. 22:37  |  maoriboy 05/09/07
  14.   #3,4 Desired -- Pragmatism, Not Foolishness 22:53  |  Mohamed Malleck 05/09/07
  15.   Hamas is slicker than that Natallie 23:01  |  Mark Lincoln 05/09/07
  16.   #12 Anat 23:07  |  B 05/09/07
  17.   #11 Angela 23:10  |  Lynn 05/09/07
  18.   Mark of Lewiston # 6 23:14  |  Lynn 05/09/07
  19.   #12, Angela 23:26  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 05/09/07
  20.   Response to Maoriboy 23:27  |  Real Swiss 05/09/07
  21.   #9, Durson 23:30  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 05/09/07
  22.   Hamas vs. Fatah 23:32  |  B 05/09/07
  23.   Angela # 12 23:33  |  ChanahS 05/09/07
  24.   Mohamed, the Swift Current bronco buck 00:44  |  Joe Sittizen 06/09/07
  25.   #14 Mohammed 02:15  |  Mae White 06/09/07
  26.   15 ChannahS 02:37  |  Mark of Lewiston 06/09/07
  27.   #6, Mark of Lewiston 02:47  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 06/09/07
  28.   Excuse me Mohamed... 03:00  |  Avi 06/09/07
  29.   #16 Joe Sittizen 03:53  |  Mohamed Malleck 06/09/07
  30.   Angela and the new Swiss laws 04:14  |  Lynn 06/09/07
  31.   Gilad and Miguel de Cervantes, author of Don Quijote 05:20  |  Dennis M Starkman 06/09/07
  32.   Shalit Hamas end game 05:36  |  TWogunz 06/09/07
  33.   17 Cipora Julianna Kohn 06:09  |  Mark of Lewiston 06/09/07
  34.   To all zionists posting here 06:33  |  Hannah 06/09/07
  35.   Refreshing 06:34  |  Aram 06/09/07
  36.   # 18 Avi -- Suit Yourself, but ... 06:56  |  Mohamed Malleck 06/09/07
  37.   No home for Zionists in the Middle East 07:00  |  Hannah 06/09/07
  38.   Freedom for those not fairly tried 07:02  |  Rick 06/09/07
  39.   Israel presents Hamas new offer on Shalit deal 07:05  |  Sanders 06/09/07
  40.   #18, Ms Kohn 07:34  |  Hannah 06/09/07
  41.   #22, Mark of Lewiston 07:39  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 06/09/07
  42.   #22, Mark of Lewiston 07:42  |  Hannah 06/09/07
  43.   Israel also holds Palestinian hostages, without 07:49  |  Dani 06/09/07
  44.   To ChanahS #15 08:28  |  Steve Beikirch 06/09/07
  45.   TO Cipora Julianna Kohn #30 08:33  |  Steve Beikirch 06/09/07
  46.   HAMAS and peace do NOT mix.They make no secret about it 08:33  |  PETER.SM 06/09/07
  47.   30 Cipora Julianna Kohn 08:41  |  Mark of Lewiston 06/09/07
  48.   Shalit has been a curse 08:55  |  Ron 06/09/07
  49.   Hannah 08:56  |  E 06/09/07
  50.   32 Hannah pro-PA 09:05  |  Mark of Lewiston 06/09/07
  51.   A BARGAINING CHIP TO ABBAS AND THE REST 09:06  |  indrajaya 06/09/07
  52.   #39, Mark of Lewiston 09:17  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 06/09/07
  53.   #37, Steve Breikrich 09:25  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 06/09/07
  54.   Mark of Lewiston 09:33  |  Gina 06/09/07
  55.   Steve Beikirch -- Should all Palestinian prisoners 09:35  |  Gina 06/09/07
  56.   Mark of Lewiston - 2 09:43  |  Gina 06/09/07
  57.   FAKE INDRAJAYA # 51 09:50  |  indrajaya 06/09/07
  58.   MUSLIM BROTHERS 09:51  |  indrajaya 06/09/07
  59.   Steve Beikirch # 44 09:58  |  Gina 06/09/07
  60.   For Natallie Durson # 9 10:03  |  Clickfool 06/09/07
  61.   The one thing we can be sure about 10:06  |  Clickfool 06/09/07
  62.   # 50 Identifying Hannah 10:15  |  Mark 06/09/07
  63.   FAKE INDRAJAYA # 57 & 58 10:23  |  indrajaya 06/09/07
  64.   Cipora Julianna Kohn 10:31  |  Gina 06/09/07
  65.   #49, E 11:22  |  Hannah 06/09/07
  66.   #64, Gina 11:48  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 06/09/07
  67.   #62 Mark 12:30  |  Hannah 06/09/07
  68.   Crazy Hannah 12:34  |  Hannah 06/09/07
  69.   Hannah,greetings! You must,ofcourse,have read the Free Marwan 12:51  |  lakshmi 06/09/07
  70.   # 34 Hannah 13:52  |  Lynn 06/09/07
  71.   IRCC 13:59  |  Serge 06/09/07
  72.   #20 In your face Real Swiss 14:02  |  maoriboy 06/09/07
  73.   Gina and Cipora 18:46  |  Mark of Lewiston 06/09/07
  74.   TO Cipora Julianna Kohn #53 08:20  |  Steve Beikirch 08/09/07
  75.   TO Mark of Lewiston #73 08:32  |  Steve Beikirch 08/09/07
  76.   TO DANI #43 08:38  |  Steve Beikirch 08/09/07
 Today Online
Bradley Burston: The Special Place in Hell awards, 5768
Responses: 203
Arab League: IAF incident discredits Israel peace bid
Responses: 171
Editorial: Britain should support Israel with a royal visit
Responses: 139
Gideon Biger: Viable peace deal will involve population transfers
Responses: 142
Rosner: Study finds young U.S. Jews alienated from Israel
Responses: 74
Ex-Yad Vashem head may face probe into role in WWII murders
Responses: 95
Rosner's Domain
* Too many Jews here at the Nuremberg trials
* Rosner's Gue