Posted on 12/18/2008 1:15:47 PM PST by forkinsocket
Israel expressed its shock and concern on Monday after a man dressed up as captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit was paraded on a stage in front of an estimated 200,000 people celebrating the 21st anniversary of Hamas in Gaza the previous day.
Wearing an IDF uniform, the man spoke in Hebrew about how he missed his family and begged Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to give in to Hamas demands and bring about his release.
"Shalom to my father and mother, I miss my father, I miss my mother," the fake Israeli soldier said. "I want to ask Olmert: Why did you forget about the Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit?" he added.
The perverse stunt came more than 900 days after Shalit was captured by Hamas operatives on the edge of the Gaza Strip in June 2006. This was "another example of [Hamas] cruelty and inhumanity," Olmert spokesman Mark Regev said.
Hamas has demanded the release of more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners by Israel in return for Shalit's release, but the list of prisoners has not been approved by the Israeli authorities.
Earlier on Sunday, the leader of Hamas's political wing, Khaled Meshaal, announced that a so-called ceasefire, which was supposed to have lasted for the last six months and is due to end on 19 December, would not be renewed. "It appears that the agreement will not be renewed after it reaches its end," Meshaal said in a television interview marking 21 years since Hamas was founded by Sheik Ahmed Yassin.
Although there have been sporadic firings of rockets into the Western Negev from the Gaza Strip during the ceasefire period, there are now concerns that the attacks could become much stronger.
Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, however, appeared less sure that the ceasefire was over. In a speech made at the Gaza rally, Haniyeh said the situation needed to be reassessed.
"After all these months, the factions here and abroad held meetings to assess the truce and the assessment was negative regarding the position of the Zionist enemy."
Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni responded on Monday by repeating her view that the Hamas control of Gaza is unacceptable.
"Hamas cannot continue to control Gaza," Livni said in a speech to high school students. "In the long term, Israel cannot tolerate an extreme Islamic state on its southern border."
Livni is currently the leader of the Kadima Party and aiming to become the first female Prime Minister of Israel since Golda Meir when a general election is held in February.
The Hamas comments did not deter a continuing international effort to bring about a peace agreement.
On Monday, former US President Jimmy Carter met with Meshaal in Damascus for five hours to discuss issues including negotiations to release Shalit.
Meanwhile, Israel went ahead with a release of some 230 Palestinian prisoners on Monday, prompting wild scenes of welcome in the West Bank city of Ramallah. Around 210 of the prisoners were sent back to the West Bank, although Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas was not satisfied.
"Our joy will not be complete until all 11,000 prisoners are freed," Abbas said. "I promise you that there will be other groups like the one today until there is an end to the suffering of all our detainees."
...a little people, a silly people - greedy, barbarous, and cruel...
Pali Theater ... Which acts are the beheading and stoning ??? The crowd will swell to 400,000.... Animals
Just bomb them daily until he is returned safely.
Lawrence had it right.
If you took away the oil revenue they would go back to heating their tents with camel dung.
It’s Glaze Gaza Time!
These people continue to prove there is a need, reason and justification for “ethnic cleansing”.....
200,000 that should have been targeted at once.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.