Hamas: Shalit deal closed, mediators have pulled out

[ 11/10/2010 - 07:06 PM ]

GAZA, (PIC)-- Hamas leader Dr. Osama Al Muzaini said Germany will no longer mediate in the prisoner deal between Palestinian resistance movements and Israel after Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu reneged on previous agreements thwarting the deal. “After Netanyahu frustrated the deal with his take-backs, the Germans pulled out, but no mediator has come as an alternative,” Muzaini said. French president Nicholas Sarkozy has also rethought plans to mediate in the issue, he noted. The Hamas leader said his movement “will not convey any message or anything, whether it is from the family of the soldier captured by the resistance factions Gilad Shalit or vice versa.” “There is no news on this matter. This file is closed until [Israel] responds to the just humanitarian demands placed by the resistance factions holding Shalit,” he added. “Israeli media’s recent promotion of the fabricated Shalit tape, and talks on letters and rumors of the change of location of the Zionist soldier are only fabrications and ‘test balloons.’” “[Israel] has objectives we may or may not be able to devise, but we will not be consistent with it.” Muzaini stressed that Israeli authorities want to retrieve their soldier at the cheapest price without releasing Palestinian prisoners in a swap deal.