Liberman says time to end prisoner swaps for captive Israelis

Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman says Israel cannot secure the release of the bodies of slain IDF soldiers held by Hamas and two Israeli citizens held captive by the Gaza terror group short of occupying the Strip or capitulating to the terror group’s demands.

Any other solution, Liberman tells The Times of Israel, requires patience.

He calls on Israel to change tack and cease releasing Palestinian security prisoners in exchange for captive Israelis.

“The time as come to break the equation that began with the Jibril deal that saw those released initiate and carry out the First Intifada, and through the Shalit deal, whose freed [prisoners] set the tone for Hamas in Gaza, including the organization’s leader Yahya Sinwar. Those released in the Shalit deal are responsible for the murder of [seven] Israelis,” says Liberman.

— Avi Issacharoff