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Hamas Seeking to Free Entire West Bank Leadership in Exchange for Captured Israeli Soldier
[Jerusalem Post] Herb Keinon and Yaakov Katz - Defense Ministry officials said Tuesday that Hamas was incapable of independently releasing kidnapped Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, whose fate was in the hands of the Popular Resistance Committees and a number of other radical clans. "Hamas is only in a position to negotiate with Israel but will not be making the final decision," one official explained. "In the end, once Israel agrees to the deal, Hamas will go to the captors and request that Shalit be released." The officials said that among the prisoners Hamas has asked to be released are the group's entire terror leadership from the West Bank. Their release would enable Hamas to reestablish its military wing in the West Bank. "It took us years to arrest these people," said one official. "To let them out would also counter everything Israel is trying to do to with Abbas in the West Bank."