Haneya urges Shalit's captors to stick to demands

December 06, 2010

Deposed Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haneya on Sunday called on captors of the Israeli soldier Gilad Shailt in Gaza to stick to their demands and conditions on releasing him, urging the captors to keep Shalit "until achieving an honorable swap deal" with Israel.

Hamas militants and other two Palestinian armed groups captured Shalit in a cross-border raid near Gaza in 2006. The Islamic movement has been demanding Israel to free at least 1,000 Palestinian prisoners, including 450 Hamas detainees to exchange the captured soldier.

Haneya added that the exchange of prisoners "would be the first drop of rain that paves the way for releasing all the prisoners." It is estimated that more than 8,000 Palestinians are detained in Israeli prisons.

However, the talks on swap deal has been suspended for a long time and each side blames the other.

Source: People's Daily.
Link: http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/90001/90777/90854/7221829.html.