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Gaza Crisis Tests Limits of Egypt Mediation
(Reuters) Tom Perry - Egypt last year coaxed a unilateral halt to attacks on Israel from Palestinian factions. But difficulties persuading captors to give up the Israeli soldier seized over a week ago could reflect its waning influence over militants. Egyptian mediators have proposed that the captors let the soldier go in exchange for Israeli releases of Palestinian prisoners down the line. Militants holding the soldier want the immediate release of Palestinian prisoners. But Israel says it will not yield to "extortion." Syria was backing the demand for a simultaneous exchange of prisoners. "The Egyptians are talking to senior Syrian officials whose message was to insist on a prisoners' swap," a senior Palestinian official said. Syria says it will not pressure Hamas leaders to help free the soldier. "The Syrians are up to what they've always been up to - spoiling any chance for a peaceful settlement of issues by supporting the more extreme elements, in this case Hamas," Israeli political analyst Yossi Alpher said.