After repeated denials, Hamas today confirmed that it received an offer via the German mediator in negotiations on deal to bring about the release of captured Israeli soldier Gilat Shalit. Hamas political bureau deputy chief Mousa Mohammed Abu Marzouk told Arabic newspaper "Al Hayat", which is published in London, that it rejected the offer as "unfair". Abu Marzouk is based in Damascus.
Abu Marzouk said that the mediator had accepted Israel's position, which he called "extreme and unfair".
"The extremism of the Netanyahu government is to be expected from an extreme right-wing government, but the fact that the German mediator has adopted this position - that is unacceptable," Abu Marzouk to "Al Hayat". "There is no chance that the German mediator will return, because he is not carrying out his duties and is failing in his mission. We all expected that he would present a fair and not extreme position. But instead of trying to reduce the demands of the Israeli government, he accepted its terms."
"The matter was recently handed over to Egypt to deal with it," said Abu Marzouk. "Hamas wants the deal to succeed, and obtain the release of Palestinian prisoners, but only in the framework of a national and honorable deal."
"Al Hayat" quotes a senior Egyptian source, who called on Israel to demonstrate "a positive position on an exchange of prisoners". The source, who is a party to the negotiations, blamed the Israeli government for the lack of a deal, saying, "If the Israelis really want Shalit to be freed and to receive him as part of an exchange with Hamas, they must cooperate positively and demonstrate sufficient flexibility for talks to be held."
Commenting on the recent talks by Netanyahu advisor Yitzhak Molcho with Egyptian General Intelligence Directorate Director Murad Mawafi, the Egyptian source said, "The talks dealt with a number of issues in Israeli-Egyptian relations. We told him that if Israel really wanted Shalit's release, it had to offer acceptable positions."
Abu Marzouk's remarks to "Al Hayat" highlight the conflicting versions of events issued by Hamas's leaders in the past few days about the Shalit negotiations. Yesterday, an official statement by Hamas in Gaza said that it had not rejected the offer by the German mediator. Commenting on Netanyahu's opening remarks at yesterday's cabinet meeting, Hamas said, "Prime Minister Netanyahu is lying".
Jerusalem says that the internal dispute in Hamas, mainly over the Shalit negotiations, is the main obstacle to striking a deal.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on June 27, 2011
© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd. 2011