Mizeini: No progress in Shalit file unless demands are met

GAZA, (PIC)– Dr. Osama Al-Mizeini, one of Hamas”s political leaders, has asserted that Israel”s change of the official in charge of the issue of its captured soldier Gilad Shalit would not achieve any progress in the exchange file unless resistance”s demands were met.

Mizeini told PIC, “We are not concerned with the officer in charge of the captured soldiers” file, it is not of our concern, the question is not who is in charge of this file but rather in responding to resistance”s just demands”.

Asked whether the presence of an Israeli extremist government would hamper the swap deal, he said that extremism was not of concern to Hamas. “If they (Israelis) express readiness to meet the demands then the deal will go ahead but if they insist on their intransigence then we tell them that they will fail and Shalit won”t be released unless with the resistance”s will”.

He opined that the IOA had reached a conviction that the file would be only closed after meeting resistance”s demands.

The Israeli parliament on Tuesday held a debate on the question of Shalit on the occasion of the third anniversary of his capture in Gaza at the hands of three armed wings topped by the Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas.

Hebrew media quoted a leftist member of the parliament as calling on the government to release all prisoners demanded by Hamas so that Shalit could return to the embraces of his family.

Hamas has demanded the release of 1450 prisoners including all female prisoners along with all minors and sick prisoners and those serving high sentences from various Palestinian factions.