Gilad Shalit. Nearing deal?
Photo: Reuters
Hamas: Mediator changed swap deal's stages
Senior group member Osama al-Muzaini does not anticipate breakthrough in negotiations in coming days
The Hamas
member in charge of the negotiations for a prisoner exchange deal with Israel,
said Sunday that the German mediator has presented the sides with new ideas for an agreement and has changed the deal's stages.
The Hamas man denied Arab media reports
that French doctors had visited kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit,
saying this was an Israeli experimental balloon.
Osama al-Muzaini added that as far as Hamas was concerned, the current round of talks was an examination of Israel's real intentions.
In the Works
In meeting with Palestinians in Yemen, Hamas politburo chief Khaled Mashaal says, 'Movement working to ensure release of prisoners from all factions'
Al-Muzaini said a breakthrough in the negotiations was not expected in the coming days, but added that the current round of talks was more serious due to the German mediator's efforts.
He also rejected reports that Israel's intelligence organizations have managed to locate the captive soldier's whereabouts in the Strip. "Israel has no information on Shalit's location. It doesn’t have even one small bit of information on his whereabouts," he said.
Hamas will mark its 22nd anniversary on Monday with a festive rally in Gaza. The organization has promised to present a special "surprise" during the rally, but did not say if it was related to the prisoner swap.
Hamas' interior minister, Fathi Hamad, has said in the past that the organization seeks to celebrate its anniversary with a prisoner release festival.
