AGL 40.40 Increased By ▲ 0.20 (0.5%)
AIRLINK 129.25 Increased By ▲ 0.14 (0.11%)
BOP 6.81 Increased By ▲ 0.21 (3.18%)
CNERGY 4.13 Increased By ▲ 0.10 (2.48%)
DCL 8.73 Increased By ▲ 0.28 (3.31%)
DFML 41.40 Increased By ▲ 0.15 (0.36%)
DGKC 87.75 Increased By ▲ 0.75 (0.86%)
FCCL 33.85 Increased By ▲ 0.50 (1.5%)
FFBL 66.40 Increased By ▲ 0.50 (0.76%)
FFL 10.69 Increased By ▲ 0.15 (1.42%)
HUBC 113.51 Increased By ▲ 2.81 (2.54%)
HUMNL 15.65 Increased By ▲ 0.42 (2.76%)
KEL 4.87 Increased By ▲ 0.09 (1.88%)
KOSM 7.62 Decreased By ▼ -0.21 (-2.68%)
MLCF 43.10 Increased By ▲ 1.20 (2.86%)
NBP 61.50 Increased By ▲ 1.00 (1.65%)
OGDC 192.20 Increased By ▲ 9.40 (5.14%)
PAEL 27.05 Increased By ▲ 1.69 (6.66%)
PIBTL 7.26 Increased By ▲ 1.00 (15.97%)
PPL 150.50 Increased By ▲ 2.69 (1.82%)
PRL 24.96 Increased By ▲ 0.40 (1.63%)
PTC 16.25 Increased By ▲ 0.01 (0.06%)
SEARL 71.30 Increased By ▲ 0.80 (1.13%)
TELE 7.25 Decreased By ▼ -0.05 (-0.68%)
TOMCL 36.29 Decreased By ▼ -0.01 (-0.03%)
TPLP 8.05 Increased By ▲ 0.20 (2.55%)
TREET 16.30 Increased By ▲ 1.00 (6.54%)
TRG 51.56 Decreased By ▼ -0.14 (-0.27%)
UNITY 27.35 No Change ▼ 0.00 (0%)
WTL 1.27 Increased By ▲ 0.04 (3.25%)
BR100 9,967 Increased By 125.2 (1.27%)
BR30 30,751 Increased By 714.7 (2.38%)
KSE100 93,292 Increased By 771.2 (0.83%)
KSE30 29,017 Increased By 230.5 (0.8%)

Israel said Tuesday that it would not bargain "at any cost" to secure the release of a soldier held by Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip, and relayed a list of Palestinian prisoners that it wants to deport as part of a proposed swap between two bitter foes.
Israeli leaders are under immense domestic pressure to resolve the case of 23-year-old Sgt. Gilad Schalit, captured in a 2006 cross-border raid. Hamas, the target of Israel's devastating offensive in isolated Gaza a year ago, sees Schalit as a rich source of leverage for political and even economic gain.
Intense talks among Israel's top Cabinet ministers and security chiefs had raised hopes that a deal was close, but there were signs that differences remained. Defence Minister Ehud Barak said Israel's top priority was to bring Schalit home, "not at any cost, but in every possible and appropriate way."
On Tuesday, Israeli media reported that Israel had delivered a response to Hamas demands for the release of 1,000 Palestinians, many of whom were involved in attacks. Without identifying sources, the reports said Israel would approve a swap if Hamas agrees to the deportation of some prisoners.
An Israeli government official said the question of whether certain prisoners would return to the West Bank or be deported was "clearly" an issue. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to release details of the talks. A Palestinian official said that in addition to seeking to deport about 100 prisoners, Israel also refuses to free seven of those involved in the most violent attacks on Israelis, including bombing masterminds.
The official spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the talks. A senior Hamas official, who also declined to be named, confirmed receipt of the Israeli answer. The Hamas government was holding its weekly meeting Tuesday, and the deal was expected to be on the agenda. Prisoner exchanges are controversial in Israel because of their potential to encourage militants to take more hostages.
A deal perceived as favouring Gaza's Islamic militant rulers would also seem to run counter to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's call for an uncompromising war on Palestinian violence. Should Israel agree to Hamas' demands, the Islamic militants could receive a hefty boost in their rivalry with the Western-backed Fatah movement, which controls the West Bank. Hamas also hopes an Israeli-led blockade of Gaza would be relaxed.
Israel has vowed to keep the restrictions as long as Schalit was a captive. Hamas has tried to lower the number of prisoners who could be exiled, but has said it was up to individual prisoners whether they would accept deportation. Prisoners have near-iconic status in Palestinian society because nearly every family has had relatives in Israeli jails, so Hamas' stock could soar if it can claim credit for the largest prisoner release in years.
Hamas might use a swap to defend its claim that armed struggle is the only way to pry concessions from Israel. That argument could further undercut Hamas' main rival, Abbas, who has had little to show for years of peace efforts. Hamas hopes a prisoner exchange would ease the Israeli and Egyptian blockade of impoverished Gaza, which has prevented the tiny territory from rebuilding after Israel's devastating offensive there a year ago. Israel tightened access to Gaza after Schalit's capture. It then sealed off the territory, home to 1.5 million Palestinians, to all but humanitarian aid after Hamas violently seized power the following year.

Copyright Associated Press, 2009

Comments

Comments are closed.