Send to friend

The release of one Israeli soldier will decide the fate of a long term ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.




The deal, brokered by Egypt, was expected to be signed this week. But on Wednesday, Israel's security cabinet decided that there will be no truce in Gaza until Corporal Gilad Shalit is freed.

In exchange of Shalit, Hamas wants the freedom of several hundred Palestinian prisoners in Israeli custody.

Till Wednesday, the truce and the prisoner swap were being negotiated independently. Amos Gilad, the Israeli negotiator with Cairo has lashed out on prime minister Olmert for linking the release of Shalit to the truce deal.

Egyptian mediators have said they are angry that Israel changed its stance just as an agreement was about to be approved.

How can the latest move by the Israeli cabinet be interpreted? Does the sudden shift in the Israeli position risk causing tension with Cairo? Is the current government hoping to roll the whole issue to the next government? Would Netanyahu be better equipped to deal with the issue?

And why has Shalit's release become a headline while 11 thousand Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails are hardly mentioned anywhere? Are they worth less?

Inside Story is joind by Khaleda Jarar, director of Addameer, a prisoners' support and human rights association; Ghassan Al-Khatib, a political analyst, and vice-president of Bir Zeit university; and Efraim Inbar, a politics professor at Bar-Ilan university and the director of Begin-Sadat centre for strategic studies (BESA).