Hamas said ready to sign deal on Shalit release

[bemildred]

Hamas is prepared to sign a deal next week for the release of abducted Israel Defense Forces soldier Gilad Shalit as part of a long-term truce agreement between Israel and the Gaza Strip, the Arabic daily Al-Hayat reported on Friday.

According to the report, Hamas will cement the truce within the next few days and finalize the deal to free Shalit by Wednesday.

Palestinian sources told Al-Hayat that Shalit, who was captured by Hamas-allied militants in a 2006 cross-border raid from Gaza into southern Israel, would be freed in exchange for 1,000 Palestinians jailed in Israel. According to the report, the deal would include the release of women and children, as well as a number of Palestinian lawmakers and ministers.

---

Meanwhile, another Egyptian newspaper reported that Hamas has rejected a Qatari offer of $400 million dollar in exchange for Shalit.

:wow:

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1063968.html

[ProgressiveProfessor]

1. His there been recent proof of life?

[bemildred]

2. Not AFAIK.

Of course we might not be told out here in TV land. But it's the sort of thing I would want to know before making a deal, what I'm going to get for what I put up.

[Howardx]

3. i hope it goes through this time

i have had my doubts about whether shalit is still alive though.

[bemildred]

4. Hamas agrees truce, announcement within 48 hours, says report

CAIRO: Hamas has accepted an Egyptian-brokered 18-month truce with Israel in the Gaza Strip which Egypt will announce in 48 hours, state news agency MENA quoted a senior Hamas official as saying on Thursday.

Mussa Abu Marzuk, the Islamist movement’s deputy leader, said after meeting with Egyptian intelligence chief Omar Suleiman that Hamas had accepted the truce in return for the lifting of the Israeli blockade of Gaza.

“We have agreed to the truce with the Israeli side for one year and a half (in return) for the opening of all six passages between the Gaza Strip and Israel,” MENA quoted him as saying.

Egypt will announce the agreement after contacting Israel and Palestinian factions, he said.

http://64.34.254.246/article.aspx?ArticleID=19749