http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/946725.html
Source: Israel won't free two-thirds of prisoners Hamas wants released
<file:///C:/hasen/images/0.gif>
By Amos Harel <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> and Barak Ravid
<mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> , Haaretz Correspondents
<file:///C:/hasen/images/0.gif>
Even after changing the criteria for releasing Palestinian prisoners, Israel
will not agree to free 300 of the 450 prisoners whose release Hamas is
seeking, sources in the Israeli defense establishment told Haaretz.
The Islamist organization has in recent months given the Israeli government
the 450 names as part of a proposed prisoner-exchange deal involving the
release of Israel Defense Forces soldier Gilad Shalit, whom Hamas abducted
in June, 2006 and has supposedly been holding ever since.
The sources said that officials in the defense establishment have decided
that 300 of the 450 prisoners were "involved in grave acts of terrorism, and
played a crucial role in terrorist attacks, which resulted in the murder of
Israeli citizens."
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Some sources say that making the criteria more lenient could speed up
negotiations on the Israeli soldier's return.
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Sunday convened the special ministerial forum
dealing with the issue of prisoner releases, comprising Vice Premier Haim
Ramon, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, Public Security Minister Avi Dichter,
Justice Minister Daniel Friedmann and Minister Ami Ayalon.
Sources close to the forum said that the ministers are inclined to authorize
the release of prisoners serving short sentences, as well as prisoners
suffering from health problems.
Negotiations with Hamas are reportedly being conducted with the help of
Egyptian Intelligence Minister Omar Suleiman and his staff from the Egyptian
General Intelligence service.
Senior Israeli officials involved with the indirect negotiations with Hamas
have in the past few days expressed concerns that Hamas will decide to cease
negotiations and put the talks on Shalit's release in "deep freeze," as Iran
and Hezbollah did with Israel Air Force navigator Ron Arad, who has been
missing in action since abandoning his jet fighter in Lebanon in 1986, and
whose fate remains unknown.
Other officials said they doubted Hamas would follow Hezbollah's example,
because unlike Hezbollah and Iran in the case of Ron Arad, Hamas has already
admitted it is holding Gilad Shalit.
The killing last week of Hussam al-Zahar, a son of Hamas senior official
Mahmoud al-Zahar, also gave rise to concerns in Israel that talks over
Shalit's release would founder.
A senior official from the defense establishment told Haaretz that Hamas is
seeing the emergence of internal dissent over whether to press on with
negotiations on the proposed prisoner-exchange deal. Hamas' political bureau
chief Khaled Meshal - who is in exile in Syria - as well as some of the
organization's other leaders are reportedly eager to reach an understanding
on Shalit and to strike a deal.
Others, particularly the leaders of Hamas' military wings, are still
undecided about the move, according to Israeli sources.
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