WHICH MAKES THE PRISONERS GROUP THE ISRAELIS BEST HOPE FOR THE FUTURE:

Hamas on the brink of deal to lead new coalition in move to end funding crisis (Rory McCarthy, September 5, 2006, The Guardian)

Rival Palestinian factions are close to forming a new power-sharing government which the militant group Hamas expects to lead, the Palestinian prime minister, Ismail Haniyeh, said yesterday.

A national unity government is intended to lift the international freeze on funding to the Palestinian Authority, which has left it facing an economic crisis and a wave of strikes by thousands of unpaid civil servants.

But Hamas officials say even in a new joint government with its main political rival, Fatah, the movement will not give explicit recognition to Israel - one of the conditions set by the international community for funding to resume.

Mr Haniyeh, whose Hamas movement won a surprise victory in elections in January, told the Guardian that his party would not give up leadership of the government. "The majority in the parliament will head the government," he said.

At the point where Abbas saddles himself with Hamas's problems one can almost accept the copnspiracy theory that holds Marwan Barghouti to be a tool of the Mossad.

MORE:
Abbas confirms deal on Shalit's release (THE JERUSALEM POST, Sep. 5, 2006)

Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas confirmed Tuesday that a deal had been reached to secure the release of kidnapped IDF soldier Cpl. Gilad Shalit.

Abbas told Bahrain-based newspaper El-Halij that Shalit would be transferred to Egypt and held there until Israel fulfilled its part of the bargain. [...]

The Jerusalem Post was first to report on Friday that two officers from Egyptian intelligence were stationed in the Gaza Strip and were said to be in touch with the actual kidnappers, who had passed on to them their demands. The Post reported that Israel was holding up the deal, and Egypt was waiting for Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's response.

According to Al-Hayat, Shalit was handed over to Egypt "a short time ago" in exchange for Israel's guarantee to release 800 Palestinian prisoners in three stages. [...]

Al-Hayat said that Israel had stipulated that no prisoners with blood on their hands, as well as Tanzim leader Marwan Barghouti and Ahmad Sadat, the PFLP head involved in the murder of former tourism minister Rehavam Ze'evi, should be freed as part of the deal. Channel 10 News reported that Hamas had agreed to Israel's conditions.

Barghouti will be released closer to an election he can then win.

Posted by Orrin Judd at September 5, 2006 8:08 AM