Shin Bet: Fatah prisoner release puts pressure on Hamas

Hamas, Fatah both reject Egyptian offer to deploy pan-Arab force in Gaza

By ICEJ News

19 Aug 2008

According to Shin Bet Chief Yuval Diskin on Monday, Israel’s goodwill gesure to free 199 Palestinian prisoners to Palestinian Authority chairman Mahmoud Abbas “creates pressure on Hamas and is likely to accelerate the negotiations over [kidnapped IDF soldier] Gilad Schalit.”

Diskin added, however, that “the gesture will not make Hamas more flexible about its demands, because the organization sees that Israel is releasing prisoners with 'blood on their hands,' which merely causes Hamas to harden its position.”

Before the release was approved by Israel's cabinet on Sunday, the Shin Bet was against the release in principle, but had to adjust its stand once the decision was taken. According to a governmental source, Shin Bet agents do see a posiitve in the move will by putting added pressure on Hamas to reach an agreement that would secure Schalit's return.

"Hamas is looking despairingly at how, despite the fact that it holds Shalit, it is not succeeding in bringing about a prisoner release, while Abu Mazen [Abbas], who is conducting negotiations with Israel, is securing a prisoner release," the official said. "It's enough to see Hamas' response to the government's decision to understand the pressure the organization is under."

Israel’s release of Fatah prisoners only has infuriated Hamas, which until now has been calling for freeing Palestinian prisoners regardless of their loyalties. That will now likely change, top Hamas official Mahmoud A-Zahar told London’s Al-Quds Al-Arabi daily on Tuesday.

"This type of separation in releasing prisoners is saddening," he added. "We, in Hamas, got the message and will act accordingly despite the fact that until now, our policy regarding prisoner releases was unrelated to political factional belonging."

Meantime, Hamas has rejected a new Egyptian proposal for resolving the differences between Fatah and Hamas, reported Israel Radio. In the offer published by Al-Sharq Al-Awat on Tuesday, Cairo suggested sending a pan-Arab force of 3000 soldiers under Egyptian command to help keep peace in Gaza.

Fatah also turned down the proposal because one of its main clauses called for the PLO to carry out extensive reforms within four months, reported Haaretz.

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