A senior Hamas source stated that the movement and Israel agreed during indirect talks on 400 names of Palestinians detainees who would be released in return for the release of prisoner of war, Gilad Shalit, and that the talks are currently focused on the names of 50 additional detainees.
The source told the Al Hayat Arab newspaper in London that Israel is still rejecting the release of some detainees demanded by Hamas.
Israel is also rejecting to release three female detainees identified as, Amna Mona from Jerusalem, Ahlam Al Tamimi from Nabi Saleh village near Ramallah, and Qahera Al Saady from Jenin.
Israeli claims that the three detained women played essential roles in attack that led to the death of Israelis.
Talks on the release of Fateh’s Central Committee member, Marwan Barghouthi, Secretary-General of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), Ahmad Saadat, and a number of leaders of Hamas’ armed wing, are still ongoing amidst Israeli rejections to release them.
Some of Hamas’ armed wing members the movement is demanded to be freed are Ibrahim Hamed, Abdullah Al Barghouthi, Abbas Al Sayyid, Hasan Salama and Jamal Abu Al Haija.
Also, negotiations are ongoing on Arab detainees and detainees who carry Israeli ID cards.
The Hamas official stated that some progress was made on the release of some Jerusalem detainees as Israel agreed to release 17 detainees from the city.
Yet, Israel insists on deporting 130 detainees while Hamas is rejecting the issue. The Hamas official said the issue of deporting the detainees depends on the detainees themselves and added that prisoner-swap talks are ongoing under extensive German mediation.
