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Hamas: Israel retreated from its ‘extreme position’ on Shalit deal

Hamas senior official Osama Hamdan said Tuesday that Israel has shown significant flexibility in its stance regarding a prisoner exchange deal on captured IDF soldier Gilad Shalit.
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August 16, 2011

Hamas senior official Osama Hamdan said Tuesday that Israel has shown significant flexibility in its stance regarding a prisoner exchange deal on captured IDF soldier Gilad Shalit.

“Israel’s extreme position regarding the deal has become significantly more flexible in light of Hamas’ resoluteness regarding its position and demands,” Hamdan told the newspaper “Palestine”, which is identified with the Hamas organization.

Hamdan added that Israel has substantially backed down from the extreme conditions it had demanded in order to carry the deal.

“If it was up to Hamas, we could have reached a deal within one round of negotiations,” Hamdan added, saying his organization wants to retrieve its prisoners to “their natural place.”

Read more at Haaretz.com.

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