Zahar: List of prisoners in exchange for soldier will only grow if Jewish state challenges agreements.
By JPOST.COM STAFFgilad schalit 248.88(photo credit: Channel 2)
Hamas would reject every existing agreement on a prisoner trade for kidnapped soldier Gilad Schalit if Israel tried to change the terms of the deal, senior Hamas leader in Gaza Mahmoud Al-Zahar has threatened.
Zahar, who made his comments during an interview with the Ramatan news agency on Friday evening, insisted that if Israel continued what he called its policy of withdrawing from arrangements, Hamas would cancel all of the arrangements made and would demand a new number as well as a new list of prisoners' names the group wished to release.
"In this case, we will also go back on our word... We will open a new page, begin anew and demand greater numbers," Zahar warned.
Zahar's declaration came in response to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas's announcement that Israel has already agreed to free 450 Palestinian prisoners before Schalit is transferred back to Israel from Gaza, and another 550 once the exchange is completed.
Schalit, kidnapped during the June 2006 cross-border raid that left two IDF soldiers dead, celebrated his third birthday in captivity nearly one month ago.
AP contributed to this report.
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