Haniyeh: 'Today we free prisoners, tomorrow Al-Aksa'

Hamas says Hezbollah sent it report in 2006 detailing how to broker exchange deal with Israel; Hamas briefs Gaza groups on details of deal.

By JPOST.COM STAFF
ismail haniyeh_311 reuters (photo credit: REUTERS/Suhaib Salem)
ismail haniyeh_311 reuters
(photo credit: REUTERS/Suhaib Salem)
Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh declared on Friday that “today we are freeing our prisoners and tomorrow, al-Aksa.”
During a sermon in a Gaza Strip mosque, Haniyeh said the Gaza Strip had payed a heavy price for the kidnapping of Gilad Schalit – which was done to help “the heroes in prison.”
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The Hamas leadership met with the leadership of other Palestinian factions on Saturday to brief them on details of the exchange. The briefings also included plans the group has for receiving the released prisoners once they arrive in Gaza, Israel Radio reported.
Among its preparations, the report added, senior Hamas officials have been visiting the families of prisoners to inform them.
According to a report published Saturday in London-based pan-Arab daily Al- Hayat, despite the success in coming to terms on a swap, agreement was not reached on all points in negotiations between the two sides.
One of Hamas’s requests, to which Israel only partially agreed, was that it not target the newly released prisoners. Instead, Israel agreed it would target them if they renewed their terrorist activity.
Hamas is also unwilling to agree to stop attacking Israelis, Al-Hayat reported. The group pledged Schalit would not be the last Israeli it would kidnap.
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