Senior Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal on Monday said the Palestinian movement will not free the captive Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit unless Tel Aviv agrees to meet the Palestinians' demands. The head of Hamas' political bureau on Monday renewed his movement's call for the release of Palestinian detainees held in Israeli prisons.
Referring to the ongoing rally in Israel in support of Gilad Shalit, Mashaal said it indicated that the Israelis "now know where the problem lies," stressing the Israeli government is responsible for the failure of a proposed prisoner swap deal. He also voiced hope that Palestinian fighters will be successful in repeating the act of capturing more Israeli soldiers. The only language to deal with the Israeli regime is the language of force, he noted.
"Gilad Shalit will not be freed unless (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu agrees to our just demands," he said. In addition, Mashaal accused Israel of efforts aimed at averting the world's attention from its crimes and against Palestinians during the December 2008-January 2009 Gaza war, and its deadly attack on Gaza-bound aid convoy last month.
