Prisoners Swap Deal in Israeli Eyes: Accord Strengthens Hamas

Local Editor

Israeli officials admitted on Sunday that the prisoners swap deal, secured between the Zionist entity and Hamas, was in favor of Hamas, voicing the “need” to set new rules for next deals.
Israeli opposition leader Tzipi Livni said the deal had shifted the balance of power towards Hamas.

"The whole world understands that extremist Hamas has been strengthened”, she told public radio.

Livni added that “Israel is losing its military deterrence,” and that the next phase of the prisoner exchange, in which another 550 Palestinian prisoners are to be released, must be “coordinated with Abbas, rather than with Hamas.”

For his part, Israeli “Defense” Minister Ehud Barak said that Israel needed new rules for prisoners swap deals.

"I'm happy about the deal on the exchange for Gilad Shalit, but we must set new rules," Barak told Israeli daily newspaper Israel Hayom.

Barak said it was important for Israel to draft rules that were in keeping with the policy adopted by other Western nations.
"A profound change is need... The new rules must take into account our national interests, and be closer to those adopted by various Western nations like that United States, Britain and Australia," Barak said.



These declarations came just few days after the Zionist entity and Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, secured a deal in which the captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit was released in exchange for Hundreds of Palestinian detainees.

Source: Israeli Media

"The people want a new Shalit,"

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