Gilad Shalit on his way home?
Jun/090
More than three years after his initial capture, various sources, mostly Egyptian, are saying that Gilad Shalit’s release has been secured and will be occur imminently:
On Thursday, Haaretz quoted European diplomatic officials as saying that Shalit would be transferred to Egypt in the coming days as part of an Egyptian-brokered prisoner exchange deal reached two days earlier.
According to Saturday’s report in Asharq al-Awsat, Arab and European officials say Shalit will be transferred soon to Egyptian intelligence in exchange for the release of 400 Palestinian prisoners by Israel, most of whom women and children, as well as some Hamas members of parliament.
The Australian reports based on ‘Arabic’ sources that the deal is a ploy on Egypt’s behalf to end the blockade of Gaza. That is, give Corporal Shalit back to the Israelis and maybe the Israelis will loosen their grip on the Strip?
Captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit will shortly be transferred by Hamas to Egyptian custody as the first step of an ambitious plan to lift Israel’s siege of the Gaza Strip, restore Palestinian unity and free about 1100 Palestinian prisoners
Most interesting, but least surprising of all, is Kadima leader Tzipi Livni’s condemnation of the transfer, according to the conservative Arutz Sheva, just a few months after she was one of many in Israeli politics advocating for negotiations to work for Shalit’s swift release:
“Just as the stopping of the negotiations with moderate members of the Palestinian Authority will hurt Israel’s interests, the creation of agreements – direct or indirect – with Hamas, which will give the organization legitimacy in exchange for a few days of quiet, is a strategic mistake that will harm Israel.”
All of this leaves us with many questions: Will any of this actually result in Shalit being given back to the Israelis? What will his condition be if/when he does come back? How many Palestinian prisoners will Israel have to give up to get him back? (Most reports are saying more than 1000.)
More important I think, though: What impact will it have on Hamas’s unflinching desire to capture and kill Israelis and destroy the Jewish state? And, will the Israelis show a little bit more compassion when it comes to letting humanitarian goods into the Gaza Strip?
All these obviously remain up in the air for the next few days while Shalit’s release is being negotiation, and we’ll wait to see the outcome. After three years, enough in enough. But indeed, after more than sixty years of conflict, something broader must also change.
The Palestinians just keep fighting among themselves
Jun/090
A good feature in today’s Ha’aretz: Are Fatah and Hamas on road to reconciliation?
It’s been two years since Hamas’ takeover of the Gaza Strip, and it seems as if the breach between Gaza and the West Bank – or between what has been dubbed “Fatahland” and “Hamastan” – has never been wider.
There are more than 1000 Palestinians incarcerated for being Hamas or Fatah members in the wrong place. Since the conflict began, 2006 and 2007 marked the first times intra-Palestinian violence caused more deaths than Israeli actions.
The article also looks at a new angle though. Are the relations between the two brothers of Palestinian nationalism starting to get along?
On July 7 Cairo is hosting a meeting between Hamas and Fatah leaders and the Americans are trying to bring the Syrians off the bench by re-posting an ambassador to Damascus; both are crucial to putting the Palestinians’ welfare front and centre.
The article is doubtful it will work though, mostly because of the difference in opinions between the Damascus-based Hamas leadership and those based in Gaza.
It’s a good read to understand more about the background of intra-Palestinian political differences. I guess the only thing we can do is wait for the headlines on July 8.