Hamas Armed Wing Says Shalit Won’t Be Last To Face Capture
By Maan
Gilad Shalit will not be the last Israeli soldier to face capture to force the release of Palestinian prisoners, the armed wing of Hamas declared Wednesday.
The Al-Qassam Brigades “is committed to each and every prisoner behind bars,” a spokesman said. The armed group said it would “bring them home through any means necessary.”
Abu Obeida said in a statement posted on the Al-Qassam website that “the Zionist soldier Gilad Shalit will not be the last so long as the Zionist occupation is kidnapping out prisoners.”
On Tuesday, the leaders of Israel and Hamas announced a prisoner exchange deal that is expected to result in the release of some 1,000 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the Israeli soldier.
The list of prisoners is expected to be made public in the near future.
Shalit, meanwhile, has been informed that he will be freed as part of a prisoner swap deal, a leader of the militant group Popular Resistance Committees told the German press agency DPA.
“Of course, we informed Shalit yesterday about reaching a deal on releasing him,” DPA quoted spokesman Abu Attaya as saying Wednesday in Gaza. Abu Attaya did not say how Shalit reacted.
