Sources in the ruling Palestinian Hamas party said on Saturday that prisoner swap talks
between Israel and the Palestinians have reached a dead end due to the
Israeli rejection of all demands made by resistance factions
holding the abducted Israeli soldier, Gilad Shalit.
The Palestinian daily Al Ayam Newspaper reported that talks have been halted and no communication is taking place between the mediators and the fighters holding Shalit captive.
On the ground, the Israeli army continued it operations in the Gaza Strip and seriously injured an Islamic Jihad member in the southern part of the Gaza Strip earlier on Saturday.
Since the abduction of the Israeli soldier in June 25, Israel has been operating in the Gaza Strip and shelling the Palestinian areas there. Troops at first targeted the Palestinian infrastructure, electricity generators, bridges, main roads and even educational facilities such as the Islamic University in Gaza.
The death toll in the Gaza Strip alone since the beginning of Israel’s military “Operation Summer Rains” on June 28 has reached 226, including 47 children and 12 women. In addition, 726 have been injured, mostly civilians, and including women, children, paramedics and journalists.
