Bethlehem – Ma'an – The father of captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit on Thursday sent a letter to Khaled Mash'al, the Syria-based head of Hamas' politburo, urging him to wrap up negotiations with Israel for a prisoner swap.
The Shalit family approached Ma'an with a request to publish the letter, a translation of which appears as follows in its entirety.
Dear Mr Khaled Mash'al
Head of the Hamas movement politburo
Damascus, Syrian Arab Republic
May God's peace and mercy be upon you,
On the occasion of Palestinian Prisoners Day, 17 April 2010, and for the sake of hundreds or even thousands of Palestinian prisoners' families and Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, I address you, on behalf of myself and my family, as the leader of the Hamas movement and one of the leaders of the Palestinian people.
A few months ago, German mediator Mr J. Conrad, who was selected by the German government and Her Excellency Chancellor Angela Merkel, presented a proposal for a prisoner exchange that would put an end to the suffering of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians. This offer, which was approved by the government of Israel, would secure the release of 1,000 Palestinian prisoners, including 450 prisoners demanded by Hamas' leadership, released in exchange for my son, Gilad Shalit.
Additionally, it is obvious to everyone that implementing the deal will lift restrictions imposed on the population of the Gaza Strip, and ease the suffering to which they have been subjected ever since my son Gilad was captured some four years ago.
It should be noted that closing the door to the release of 1,000 Palestinian prisoners within this generous deal, arranged by the German mediator in joint cooperation with the Israel and the Hamas-led Palestinian negotiating staff, would amount to further punishment for the prisoners and their families, rather than releasing them, considering that their first penalty was sentences imposed by Israel's judiciary.
I must remind you, Mr Mash'al, that the detention of Gilad as a bargaining chip without human rights, and as a prisoner of war as stipulated by the Third Geneva Convention, is a flagrant violation of international law.
I should also note that the Goldstone commission, which you recognized and whose work you encouraged, unequivocally stated the need to release Gilad or, until that time, that he be afforded his human rights in full. Within this context, the European parliament, in its its session on 11 March 2010, unprecedentedly affirmed the necessity of releasing Gilad and affording him the rights afforded under international conventions. I pray that you do not ignore the decision of the European parliament, which represents half a billion Europeans citizens.
Based on the aforementioned, I appeal to you today, on the eve of Palestinian Prisoners Day, to rise above the political considerations of the Hamas movement for the good of the Palestinian prisoners, and in the interests of Palestinians in general, and demonstrate leadership by calling for consensus among Hamas' leaders to approve the German mediator's proposal...
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