'Israel must meet Hamas demands'

JPOST.COM STAFF
07/10/2010 17:18

Hamas official says Schalit won't be released until prisoners freed.

Hamas official Khalil al-Hayeh said that Gilad Schalit will not be released until Israel meets all of Hamas's demands while speaking at a Gaza rally Saturday.

Al-Hayeh also said at the ceremony that Israeli intelligence is trying to gather information on the location of the kidnapped soldier, according to reports by Ma'an news agency. Al-Hayeh said Hamas security interrogators had been informed that many attempts had been made by Israeli intelligence to obtain information about Schalit.

"All of Israel's efforts will fail until Schalit is released by the will of Hamas when Israel releases Palestinian prisoners," Al-Hayeh said at the ceremony to commemorate Prophet Muhammad's night journey.

Al-Hayeh added that Hamas is ready to conduct serious negotiations with Israel in order to finalize a prisoner swap deal.

The Schalit family with met Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and his wife, Sara, on Friday, after the Netanyahus returned from their state visit to the US, to discuss the government's efforts to free their kidnapped son, IDF soldier Gilad Schalit.

The Schalits left the meeting disappointed. "We did not receive any news today, that can calm us," said Noam. He continued, "the prime minister did not tell use anything new. We will not leave the protest tent [outside the prime minister's official residence] without Gilad."