'Turkey sponsoring Schalit negotiations with Hamas'
By JPOST.COM STAFF
LAST UPDATED: 05/21/2011 12:31
Palestinian officials tell Chinese news agency that talks are still in early stages and it is "too soon to talk about breakthrough."
Captured soldier Gilad Schalit in video Photo: Reuters
Egypt and Turkey are sponsoring indirect negotiations between Hamas and
Israel on the release of captive IDF soldier Gilad Schalit, Palestinian
sources told Chinese news agency Xinhua on Friday.
The
negotiations are still in the early stages and it is "still too early
to talk about a breakthrough," the sources told the Chinese news agency.
On Thursday, Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal said Egypt is making
vigorous moves to advance a prisoner exchange deal that would see
Schalit released.
"Schalit's release depends on the Israeli position," Mashaal said. "The
ball is now in [Prime Minister Binyamin] Netanyahu's court," saying
Netanyahu is responsible for the lack of progress in the deal.
Also
on Thursday, the US added The Army of Islam, one of the organizations
responsible for the capture of Schalit, to its list of terror
organizations.
The State Department said that the Gaza-based
terrorist group recently announced its intentions to cooperate with
al-Qaida, and that its members were responsible for attacks on
Egyptians.