Abu Abir says few people know where IDF soldier is held; Hamas: IDF dismisses remarks as "psychological warfare."
By JPOST.COM STAFFGilad Schalit 248.88(photo credit: Courtesy)
Abu Abir, a spokesman for the Popular Resistance Committees, said that kidnapped IDF soldier Gilad Schalit was wounded during Israel's Operation Cast Lead in the Gaza Strip, but would not give details regarding the captive IDF soldier's condition.
Abir told the London-based Al Hayat daily that only very few people know where Schalit was being held, Israel Radio reported on Saturday.
He reportedly told the paper that Ahmed Jabri, head of Hamas's military wing in Gaza, was in charge of the captured soldier.
The IDF dismissed Abir's remarks as "psychological warfare."
Meanwhile in Lebanon, senior Hamas member Mahmoud al-Zahar said that his group was considering the possibility that several of the prisoners Israel was expected to release in return for Schalit would be expelled to Syria.
According to Israel Radio, he noted that Israel had not given Hamas a new list of prisoners it was willing to release in exchange for the captive IDF soldier.
Zahar was set to arrive in Cairo later on Saturday to meet Egyptian officials, the Lebanese as-Safir newspaper reported.
On Friday, senior Hamas official Musa Abu Marzouk told The Guardian that Schalit would only be released in return for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.
Regarding the soldier's exact location, the Hamas official reportedly said that "it's good that they [the Israelis] don't know where he is, otherwise they would have killed him."
Marzouk reportedly reiterated statements made by his group that the issue of Schalit would not be linked to the cease-fire with Israel.
"Israel, Egypt and Hamas have known for two years that the Schalit file is completely separate from other issues. We are ready to start negotiating about Schalit, but the issue is not linked to any other as far as we are concerned," he was quoted by the British paper as saying.
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