Prisoners swap talks canceled due to Egypt's unrest
Published: Jan 31, 2011 00:03 Updated: Jan 31, 2011 00:03
RAMALLAH: The Hamas movements said that it has canceled a meeting to discuss the release of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners due to the situation in Egypt.
The movement said that its officials were expected to meet German mediator Gerhard Konard in the Syrian capital of Damascus to reach a prisoner swap deal. It added that the closure of the Rafah crossing on the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt has prevented the delegation from heading to Damascus.
Egyptian security forces were deployed along the Egyptian side of the Rafah Crossing.
Shalit has been in Hamas custody since his arrest in a 2006 cross-border raid.
Since December 2009, the German mediator and Egypt had failed to finalize the prisoners' swap deal between Hamas and Israel due to the two sides' differences.
Hamas wants Israel to free up to 1,000 Palestinians in Israeli prisons in exchange for Shalit, and the Palestinian movement has reportedly presented a list of 450 names in Israeli prisons.
Israel also objects to freeing Israeli Arab prisoners as well as several Hamas military wing leaders. Another issue yet to be settled is Israel's demand to deport almost 100 of the 450 "heavy" prisoners set to be released in the deal.
According to the recent Palestinian statistics, there are 6,700 Palestinians currently held in 10 prisons and three detention camps in Israel and the West Bank. There are 300 prisoners under the age of 18. Israel also holds 37 females and 10 members of the Palestine Legislative Council.
