Hamas slams Abbas’s appeal over Shalit

The Hamas Movement denounced de facto president Mahmoud Abbas for his appeal for the release of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, saying he proved that the issue of Palestinian prisoners is not on his agenda or list of priorities.

Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum told the Palestinian information center (PIC) on Tuesday that Abbas’s appeal only serves Israel’s interest at the expense of the Palestinian cause.

“The persistent bias in favor of the enemy makes our cause lose its stature and revives the issue of Shalit,” spokesman Barhoum underlined.

“Abbas is interested in satisfying the occupation and ignores the issue of prisoners which is one of Hamas’s priorities,” the spokesman added.

He stressed that the focus on the issue of one soldier and forgetting about thousands of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails reflect the absence of justice.

Abbas called, during his meeting on Tuesday with German president Christian Wulff, on Hamas to release Shalit and expressed his refusal to link the issue of Shalit with the issue of Palestinian prisoners.

Abbas also hailed the German efforts to have Shalit released. “The German mediator’s diligent work to have Shalit released is highly appreciated by us and the Palestinian people.”

In a related incident, Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper said on Tuesday that 85 Israeli officers demanded Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu and his war minister Ehud Barak in a letter sent to them to work hard to get Shalit released.

They said that Israel “is blatantly violating its moral duty towards its fighters in general and Gilad Shalit in particular.”