Hamas decides to stop news release over Israeli captive soldier


The ruling Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) decided on Monday to stop news release about the abducted Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, who has been held hostage by Hamas' armed wing in Gaza.

"The captors of the soldier decided to deal silently with his case," Osama al-Muzini, a member of Hamas leadership, told reporters in Gaza.

"This comes to maintain the privacy of the issue and the reaction of the press could affect the track of the case," explained al-Muzini, who is also well-informed about the mediation efforts over the prisoner swap deal.

Al-Muzini stated that any future procedures concerning the issue would be carried out through an Egyptian security team, a mediation actor who follows up the case between Israel and the Palestinian captors.

Shalit was seized by three Palestinian militant groups led by Izz el-Deen al-Qassam Brigades, armed wing of Hamas, in a cross- border raid on June 25 and has been held hostage since then.

The captors conditioned the return of Shalit on release of 10,000 Palestinian prisoners jailed in Israel.
The talks under Egypt's mediation over a swap deal has continued for months without tangible progress.

Few days earlier, al-Muzini announced the mediation efforts hit a deadlock, accusing Israel of delaying the swap.