Israel will not agree prisoner swap with Hamas, insists Ya'alon

[bemildred]

Israel's defence minister said on Monday that the government will not agree a prisoner swap with Hamas for the release of two soldiers held captive in the Gaza Strip, Anadolu has reported.

Moshe Ya'alon made his comments on Israeli radio when he called on Hamas to release the two soldiers "without any conditions". He noted that both men are suffering from psychological disorders and they entered the besieged territory voluntarily. The minister said that Israel had attempted to free the prisoners in different ways, but that was done behind closed doors.

The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) announced that two Israelis were lost in the Gaza Strip last year. It accused Hamas of capturing them and called for their release. According to Anadolu, the IDF claims that Avram Mengistu, 29 and from Ashkelon, was "dragged" into the Gaza Strip, contradicting Ya'alon's claim that he entered the coastal enclave "voluntarily".

https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/news/middle-east/19841-israel-will-not-agree-prisoner-swap-with-hamas-insists-yaalon

[bemildred]

1. Hamas calls on Israel to acknowledge real number of 'prisoners in Gaza'

A senior Hamas official has said that the movement will remain silent regarding the Israeli soldiers "captured by the Palestinian resistance" in the Gaza Strip until Tel Aviv acknowledges the real number being held, Al-Resalah reported on Monday. Osama Hamdan stressed that nothing will be said or done until after the release of all prisoners who were freed in a previous swap and then rearrested by Israel have been set free.

He stressed that Hamas would not be involved in the issue of "numbers of soldiers held captive" by the resistance, noting that the Israeli occupation has previously denied the capture of any of its soldiers in Gaza. "The Israeli occupation only started to recognise its losses after facing silence from Hamas," he told the Palestinian newspaper. "Hamas will not speak anything regarding the soldiers before the occupation recognise the real facts and numbers about its losses."

Hamdan said that international powers had proposed mediation regarding the soldiers and ideas were discussed with them. Some were pushed by Israel to talk to the Islamic movement in order to get information, he claimed, as there are no contacts between Hamas and the Israeli occupation authorities in this regard. He reiterated that there will be no talks about this issue unless all of the conditions set by Hamas are met, including clear Israeli guarantees that it will respect previous deals.

https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/news/middle-east/19838-hamas-calls-on-israel-to-acknowledge-real-number-of-prisoners-in-gaza

[shaayecanaan]

2. I don't think that Israel will offer them much for the Ethiopian, if anything

and as for the Arab Israeli, why on earth would Hamas think that Israel would give a flying toss about him? They're probably happy to be rid of him.

Hamas must be desperate for cash if they're trying something as hare-brained as this.

[bemildred]

4. We know they both love to talk. nt

[Israeli]

3. As far as I know .....

....there are no " soldiers " being held in Gaza ....there are two Israeli civilians and one (maybe more) bodies of soldiers :
ref : http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4679552,00.html