By Xinhua,
Gaza : Hamas wants more mediators besides Egypt to achieve prisoner swap with Israel, sources from the movement said on Saturday.
The sources said that Hamas “wants a stronger and more serious mediator because Egypt is not doing enough in the case” of captive Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit who is held by the movement.
“Hamas is disappointed by Egypt” because it did not force Israel to commit to a ceasefire it brokered between the Jewish state and Hamas. Due to the weakness of the Egyptian role, Israel did not lift the siege it imposed on Gaza since Hamas took over the territory in June 2007, according to the sources.
As a result, Hamas looks for a mediator that can help, like the German mediator which succeeded in achieving a prisoner swap between Israel and Hezbollah.
“Hamas will not withdraw the file from Egypt but will not mind if new mediators join,” the sources said.
Hamas and two armed groups kidnapped Shalit in a cross-border raid in June 2006. It demands swapping him for 1,000 Palestinian prisoners in addition to all jailed women, children, the old and patients.