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Hamas in No Rush for Prisoner Swap

[Ynet News] Alex Fishman - In Hamas' view, as long as they hold on to captured IDF soldier Gilad Shalit, Israel would carefully weigh any military move in the Gaza Strip. According to reports received in Israel recently from Gaza, and by analyzing the kidnappers' conduct, it appears that Hamas' military wing is in no rush to finalize the prisoner swap. Moreover, Shalit also serves as a personal insurance policy for the kidnappers themselves, headed by Ahmad Jabari, who heads Hamas' military wing. Furthermore, as long as they hold Shalit, they are the center of attention by VIPs from the PA, Egypt, and the international community. For a while now, Hamas' military wing has adopted an independent position from Hamas' political leadership in the territories. The military wing's direct connections are with Damascus and with Khaled Mashaal. In recent weeks there have been more sniper-related incidents along the fence between Gaza and Israel and more warnings regarding additional abductions of soldiers and civilians. Hamas' military wing, through direct coordination with Iran's Revolutionary Guard, intends to send not only Hamas activists but also members of Fatah's al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades for military training in Iran.
2007-04-18 01:00:00
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