HAMAS SEEKING RELEASE OF IT'S WEST BANK LEADERSHIP FOR SHALIT

Hamas Seeking to Free Entire West Bank Leadership in Exchange for Captured Israeli Soldier - Herb Keinon and Yaakov Katz
Defense Ministry officials said Tuesday that Hamas was incapable of independently releasing kidnapped Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, whose fate was in the hands of the Popular Resistance Committees and a number of other radical clans. "Hamas is only in a position to negotiate with Israel but will not be making the final decision," one official explained. "In the end, once Israel agrees to the deal, Hamas will go to the captors and request that Shalit be released."

The officials said that among the prisoners Hamas has asked to be released are the group's entire terror leadership from the West Bank. Their release would enable Hamas to reestablish its military wing in the West Bank. "It took us years to arrest these people," said one official. "To let them out would also counter everything Israel is trying to do to with Abbas in the West Bank." (Jerusalem Post)

SEE ALSO: Former Prisoner of Zion Against Palestinian Visitation Rights - Aviram Zino
Former Prisoner of Zion Ida Nudel filed a petition to the High Court of Justice demanding it order the Internal Security Minister to withhold visitation rights of Hamas and Hizbullah prisoners in Israel as long as the Red Cross was prevented from seeing kidnapped IDF soldiers Gilad Shalit, Eldad Regev, and Ehud Goldwasser. (Ynet News)

SEE ALSO: The price of Shalit
Ha’aretz editorialists remind the Israeli government that the willingness to pay any price for abducted soldier Gilad Shalit’s release easily could endanger ever more Israeli soldiers and citizens by encouraging additional abductions by Palestinians hoping for prisoner swaps. (Ha'aretz)