Meshaal to Child Killer, Olmert: We Reject "Israeli" Conditions for Truce

 
Source: Al-Manar TV, 29-01-2009
Hamas politburo Chief Khaled Meshaal said Wednesday that "Israel's" conditions for a long-term truce with Hamas were "unacceptable."
Meshaal said Hamas will not accept that "Israel" open the crossings with the Gaza Strip only after Hamas releases an "Israeli" soldier captured by Gaza resistance fighters in June 2006.
"We were recently informed of (‘Israel's') conditions for calm ... We reject these ‘Israeli' conditions. We will not accept them," Meshaal said.
Meshaal spoke from Doha, Qatar, where he is visiting to thank Qatar for its solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza during "Israel's" 22-day offensive. His remarks were aired on Al-Jazeera satellite television.
"Israeli" Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said earlier Wednesday that crossings with Gaza "will only open permanently" after the freeing of Shalit.
Meshaal reiterated that Hamas insists that thousands of Palestinian detainees in "Israeli" jails be released in return for Shalit. Hamas has resisted any linkage between Shalit and the reopening of crossings.
"In response to the child killer, Olmert," Meshaal said, "I say to you in the name of Hamas and in the name of the heroes who are holding Shalit, we will not accept that crossings be opened in return for Shalit."
Meshaal added that Hamas wants Palestinian detainees in return for Shalit's freedom. "Israel" has in the past rejected the demand, but media reports have said it is softening its position following the recent military offensive in Gaza.
Salah el-Bardawil, a member of the Hamas delegation currently in Cairo, reiterated on Wednesday that it was not possible to link the truce to the release of Shalit, and said that if "Israel" wanted him it had to pay the appropriate price.
"We said clearly that we have our vision and a list that we presented to Egypt, and the ball is in the ‘Israeli' court," Bardawil told Al-Jazeera from Cairo. "If they want to release Schalit, they have to pay a price in return... the 11,000 Palestinian prisoners in ‘Israeli' jails waiting to be released."