Report: Gilad Shalit Home Next Wednesday, Hamas ‘Shocked’ Deal Left Out Top Operatives

Report: Gilad Shalit Home Next Wednesday, Hamas Shocked Deal Left Out Top OperativesCaptured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit will be home by next Wednesday after the Israeli government secured a deal with Hamas militants for his release.

Shalit will return to Israel through Egypt next week at the same time that Israel releases the first group of Palestinians in return, AFP reported. Under the deal, Shalit is being traded for a total of 1,027 Palestinian prisoners, many serving sentences for deadly attacks against Israel.

Shalit was captured by militants in a cross-border raid and dragged into Gaza in June 2006. Little has been known about his fate since, and past deals to free him stalled.

Israel has been criticized for the sheer number of prisoners it agreed to exchange for Shalit, including from family members of those killed in terror attacks.

“I have been fighting this deal for five years, and I staunchly oppose the release of terrorists, murderers and convicts,” Yossi Mendelevitch, whose 13-year-old son was killed in a bus bombing in 2003, told Israeli news site YNet News. “In fact, Israel is surrendering to a terror organization by freeing killers.”

Ron Kerman, whose 17-year-old daughter was killed in the same terror attack, said he thinks the prisoner deal is dangerous for Israel.

“While I am happy for the Shalit family, I fear for the lives of the citizens of Israel,” Kerman said. “I don‘t buy the politicians’ promises…I am afraid that more people will join my situation as result of the Shalit deal, not to mention the…morale boost that Israel’s government, headed by Benjamin Netanyahu, has given terror organizations.”

Despite receiving more than 1,000 prisoners in return, Hamas officials are said to be dismayed that some top operatives were left out of the deal.

YNet reported:

Palestinian sources told the newspaper Asharq al-Awsat that Hamas officials were shocked that senior operatives in the organization’s military wing, including Hassan Salama, Abdullah Barghouti, Abbas a-Sayed and Ibrahim Hamed will not be among the released. The sources said that several senior operatives have cancelled their speeches on the matter, and a joint press conference that was supposed to be held by the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades and the Popular Resistance Committee on Wednesday was called off.

Palestinian Authority Minister of Prisons Issa Kraka, who initially welcomed the deal, said he was disappointed that the top security prisoners were not to be freed.

“The negotiations on the deal had to focus more on the political, symbolic and national significance held by the senior leaders, including Marwan Barghouti and Ahmed Saadat,” he said.

Additionally, Palestinian officials loyal to Hamas rival Fatah criticized Hamas for conceding too much in the swap, according to the Associated Press.

“The deal was a blow to our hopes,” said Issa Karake, a Palestinian official in the Fatah-controlled West Bank responsible for prisoners. “The Palestinian people paid a heavy price…for Shalit’s captivity. They should have insisted.”

Comments (36)

  • oldsailor7294
    Posted on October 14, 2011 at 6:55pm

    They need to put small tracking devices in these guys and every time 10 or more of them are together, BOOM!

    Report Post »  
  • Geminitis
    Posted on October 14, 2011 at 10:00am

    This is a bad move in so many different ways. Not that it has not been done before but it just reinforces the notion that terrorism pays. An easier solution would be to imprison 50 Hamas followers for each day any Israeli soldier is held captive. Just start plucking them off the street without any rhyme or reason. Then see the UN pretend caring and try to get involved.

    Report Post »  
  • Rowgue
    Posted on October 13, 2011 at 11:39pm

    That is insane. You release over a thousand terrorists that are going to be right back on your doorstep strapped with bombs tomorrow to secure the release of one guy? I‘m sure this guy’s family will be ecstatic, but thousands of other people are going to pay for this with their lives.

    Report Post »  
  • bankerpapaw
    Posted on October 13, 2011 at 10:25pm

    Look out, Israel. You are setting a dangerous precedent.

    Report Post »  
  • Kiba
    Posted on October 13, 2011 at 9:29pm

    I bet they have been testing their nuke poison on him. He will prolly look like a starving green hulk when he gets back, if not riddled with very contageous disease.

    Report Post »  
  • Kiba
    Posted on October 13, 2011 at 9:24pm

    Man, I do love that shirt the boy has on though. Would I have to join the I.D.F. to get one of those?

    Report Post »  
  • Kiba
    Posted on October 13, 2011 at 9:22pm

    There they go, I guess they (Isreal) has been taking lessons from us. Bad guys kidnap one soldier and gets traded for a thousand-plus killers captured for killing and attempted killing of innocent Isrealis. Oh yea, that has our markings all over it. Rule number one in the U.S.A. book of war and handling enemie combatants…”always kiss the a$$ of the enemie so they can kill more of you than you can kill of them”.

    Report Post »  
  • RightPolitically
    Posted on October 13, 2011 at 9:14pm

    The math does not work. And what if just 10% of those thousand go back to killing and bombing? How many Israelis die then? Just asking.

    Report Post » RightPolitically  
  • GodsPuppet
    Posted on October 13, 2011 at 7:54pm

    God bless the young man and his family, bless the families that have lost loved ones. I suggest that in the future, each time another terror attack takes a life, the Israelis put a Hamas prisoner to death, starting with the top leaders they expected in the trade.

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    • ashestoashes
      Posted on October 13, 2011 at 8:34pm

      I am so happy that this beautiful young man made it back home alive. seems like Natanyahu’s older brother was killed in one of these conflicts. I am glad that Israel is smart enough to have kept top operatives. It’s too bad that those 1000 that they traded could not have been Chistianized before their return. Kind of like rehabilitation prisons. the ones where they receive Christian training..the prisoners go out and lead normal productive lives. We need to start getting the Word to all of these lost people. It’s our job as Chistians, and there is nothing like having a captive audience to teach God’s Word..

      Report Post »  
    • UrbanCombatSurvivor
      Posted on October 14, 2011 at 2:30am

      I would go a step further: If a US soldier or citizen is being help by a terrorist group, we should go on a rampage until they are recovered. No deals, no talking, just a military campaign.

      Having said that, I also think our military should only be engaged in things that are a direct threat to this nation or it’s people. Dealing with animals never garners positive results for anyone other than the animals.

      As an aside:
      Forced conversions is a sick concept, and I hope it never comes to pass in a world where there is still any form of freedom.

      Report Post »  
  • BowHuntingTexas
    Posted on October 13, 2011 at 7:48pm

    I’ll believe it when I see it. I’m afraid this young man has been dead for 5 years already.

    Report Post » BowHuntingTexas  
  • houghtodd
    Posted on October 13, 2011 at 7:36pm

    This just proves that 1 Israeli is worth 1,000 Palestinians.

    Report Post »  
  • AmeriCat
    Posted on October 13, 2011 at 7:14pm

    We must wait, and pray, and hope Shalit can enjoy a good meal when he returns home.

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  • Lesbian Packing Hollow Points
    Posted on October 13, 2011 at 6:35pm

    I think I have a solution to assuage the anger of some Israelis over this “deal with the devil”.

    Put each and every one of those 1,027 names on a “Kill, Do Not Capture” list. If at any moment in the future, any of those people falls into the hands of Israeli authorities, the Israli Army, the Mossad, they will not be taken into custody. They will be summarily executed where they are found. These are criminals. They’ve already committed acts of terrorism, been convicted, and imprisonned. There’s no point in going through that again.

    If these people want to stay alive, they need to abjure terrorism and leave the nation-state of Israel alone.

    Report Post » Lesbian Packing Hollow Points  
  • Exrepublisheep
    Posted on October 13, 2011 at 6:31pm

    Shalit must be connected. 1000 murderers and terrorists set free to attack again for 1 person?

    Report Post » Exrepublisheep  
    • AmeriCat
      Posted on October 13, 2011 at 7:12pm

      No….
      Israel is just like the United States,
      We have the same Judeo-Christian values:

      Israel places value on a single human life.

      As do our Marines, our Fire Fighters…and more

      Report Post »  
    • Exrepublisheep
      Posted on October 13, 2011 at 7:32pm

      Americat I disagree. There never has/will be a trade like that with terrorists in this country.

      Report Post » Exrepublisheep  
  • momrules
    Posted on October 13, 2011 at 6:28pm

    May God be with this young man and help him recover from the horrors inflicted on him.

    Report Post »  
  • chips1
    Posted on October 13, 2011 at 6:25pm

    The second he steps foot in his country of Israel, the terrorists should be leveled.

    Report Post »  
  • dsind
    Posted on October 13, 2011 at 6:24pm

    this is totally idiotic.
    kiss-kiss the murderers butts.
    turn that big azz cheek with
    more compromise‘s to the wacko’s.

    Report Post »  
  • Bill from NJ
    Posted on October 13, 2011 at 6:19pm

    “Shalit is being traded for a total of 1,027 Palestinian prisoners”
    Sounds about right, 1 good fighting Jew is worth 1000 palestinians….

    Report Post » Bill from NJ  
    • CatB
      Posted on October 13, 2011 at 6:27pm

      They didn’t get the “top operatives” .. you thought the Jews would give you them??? You didn’t check the “deal” … Israel has not survived this long by being stupid.

      Report Post »  
  • InterestingStuff
    Posted on October 13, 2011 at 6:12pm

    Not nearly as shocking as this reported today
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_CTNSAc_IU

    Report Post »  
    • Jaimo
      Posted on October 13, 2011 at 8:34pm

      Oh for God’s sake, will you nutters go someplace else.

      Report Post »  
    • Kiba
      Posted on October 13, 2011 at 9:27pm

      I dont get what it was that I was supposed to see. Pretty dumb if you ask me.

      Report Post »  

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