Analysis

Israel-Hamas talks on return of civilians and soldiers remains fall through

As precondition, Palestinian terror group reportedly demands release of security prisoners freed in Gilad Shalit deal and rearrested since

By Avi Issacharoff
  • Avi Issacharoff, The Times of Israel's Middle East analyst, fills the same role for Walla, the leading portal in Israel. He is also a guest commentator on many different radio shows and current affairs programs on television. Until 2012, he was a reporter and commentator on Arab affairs for the Haaretz newspaper. He also lectures on modern Palestinian history at Tel Aviv University, and is currently writing a script for an action-drama series for the Israeli satellite Television "YES." Born in Jerusalem, he graduated cum laude from Ben Gurion University with a B.A. in Middle Eastern studies and then earned his M.A. from Tel Aviv University on the same subject, also cum laude. A fluent Arabic speaker, Avi was the Middle East Affairs correspondent for Israeli Public Radio covering the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the war in Iraq and the Arab countries between the years 2003-2006. Avi directed and edited short documentary films on Israeli television programs dealing with the Middle East. In 2002 he won the "best reporter" award for the "Israel Radio” for his coverage of the second intifada. In 2004, together with Amos Harel, he wrote "The Seventh War - How we won and why we lost the war with the Palestinians." A year later the book won an award from the Institute for Strategic Studies for containing the best research on security affairs in Israel. In 2008, Issacharoff and Harel published their second book, entitled "34 Days - The Story of the Second Lebanon War," which won the same prize.
 13 January 2017, 6:26 am
Senior Hamas official Moussa Abu Marzouk (second from left) speaks to media at the Rafah crossing in the southern Gaza Strip after negotiations in Cairo, August 28, 2014. (Abed Rahim Khatib/Flash90)

Talks have stalled between Israel and Hamas regarding the return of three Israeli citizens held in Gaza, as well as the return of the bodies of the two fallen Israeli soldiers, Oron Shaul and Hadar Goldin, whose remains are bring held there, Palestinian sources in Gaza and Israelis told The Times of Israel.

The talks were said to falter because of Hamas’s precondition that Israel must release those Palestinians freed in the 2011 Gilad Shalit prisoner-exchange deal whom Israel has since rearrested (as a punitive measure during Operation Brother’s Keeper in 2014) before discussing the release of Israeli citizens and soldiers’ remains.

Hamas is believed to be detaining Avraham Mengistu and Juma Ibrahim Abu Anima, two Israeli men who crossed into Gaza of their own accord, as well as a third, unnamed Israeli civilian whose presence in Gaza is unconfirmed. The Islamist terror group also holds the bodies of IDF soldiers Oron Shaul and Hadar Goldin, who the army says were killed in the 2014 Gaza war.

Hamas officials say that Israel is holding 58 prisoners of the more than 1,027 who were released in the 2011 Shalit deal.

Released Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit (second right), walks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (second left), then-defense minister Ehud Barak (left) and ex-chief of staff Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz (right), at the Tel Nof air base in southern Israel, October 18, 2011. (Ariel Hermoni/Defense Ministry/Flash90)

Various sources told The Times of Israel that the Israeli government has agreed to release the Hamas prisoners, but only as part of a comprehensive deal, and only if they have not been convicted or charged with planning or attempting any new terror attacks.

Israel is also prepared to return the bodies of Hamas personnel in its possession.

Oron Shaul, Hadar Goldin and Avraham Mengistu. (Flash90/The Times of Israel)

Israel’s position was relayed to Hamas by, among others, Ambassador Mohammed al-Emadi, Qatar’s envoy to the Gaza Strip. Egyptian intelligence officials and European diplomats have also been involved in the mediation attempts.

Gershon Baskin, who mediated between Israel and Hamas in the past and who brokered the Shalit prisoner-exchange deal, has joined the effort. Baskin confirmed his involvement to The Times of Israel, but said that the talks have stalled.

Gershon Baskin (Elhanan Miller/Times of Israel)

Baskin said that while he has conveyed the messages he’s asked to convey, and is in contact with Hamas in Gaza and the West Bank, there has been no progress on the matter.

Officials close to the talks said that while the Hamas leaders realize that they cannot expect to receive nearly as many prisoners as they did in the Shalit deal, they still expect a significant number to be freed in exchange for the return of the three citizens who entered Gaza.

At the same time, Israel appears willing to release a small number of Palestinian prisoners, mainly those who are about to complete their sentences or who suffer from severe health problems.

read more: