Hamas: We won't let Red Cross visit Shalit

[oberliner]

Hamas has rejected the latest request from the International Red Cross to visit abducted Israel Defense Forces soldier Gilad Shalit, Israel Radio reported on Wednesday.

Hamas denied the request for fear that the visit might lead Israel to try to free Shalit in a military operation, according to Hamas lawmaker Yehia Moussa, who told a Hamas newspaper that the Red Cross did not take the military reality in the Middle East into account when it made the request.

The International Committee of the Red Cross said it has approached Hamas a number of times to allow its representatives to visit the kidnapped soldier in Gaza, only to be denied time after time.

"One of our main achievements is that we have been able to visit nearly everyone detained in connection to this conflict, with the exception of Gilad Shalit," Pierre Dorbes, deputy head of the International Committee of the Red Cross in Israel and the Occupied Territories, told Haaretz on Tuesday.

http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/hamas-we-won-t-let-red-cross-visit-shalit-1.297859

[grantcart]

1. Unfortunate. Tomorrow would be a good day for the ICRC to visit. Highly symbolic.

[proteus_lives]

2. Unsurprising.

And sad.

[azurnoir]

3. when was the last request

the Haaretz article does not say but was there not a request on June 12 just 11 days ago which was reported here?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=124&topic_id=324323

Is this a a reminder of that or something new?
ICRC should be allowed to visit Shalit, in any event

[IndianaGreen]

4. Gilad Shalit must be released at once!

His captivity is a violation of human rights. Hamas must allow the ICRC to visit Shalit.

[oberliner]

5. What actions should the international community take to make that happen?

If any.

[Recursion]

6. Blockading Gaza would probably pressure them into releasing him NT

[oberliner]

7. That is preposterous

The blockade has been in place since he has been kidnapped and there has been no change whatsoever.

In fact, it is arguable that the blockade has made it less likely that Hamas would release him.

[Recursion]

9. Hi, Oberliner, this is my friend Sarcasm

Sarcasm, Oberliner. Oberliner, Sarcasm. I'm amazed you two haven't met before.

[oberliner]

11. What do you actually think the international community should do with respect to Shalit?

If anything?

[Recursion]

16. Well. Hamas is already outlawed, so I don't know how much pressure they can put on them

What are we going to do, say Hamas is double-secret outlawed? I suppose ICRC could stop helping Gazan civilians until they have access to Shalit, but that's not something they do. As far as the US, we're not exactly in a position to lecture people about holding POWs in secret from the ICRC.

[IndianaGreen]

17. Hamas is the democratically elected government of Gaza

While the lapdog Abbas' term of office expired some 23 months ago. Abbas is the one that is the outlaw!

[oberliner]

18. There was no separate election for Gaza and The West Bank - legislative elections covered both

Hamas won the most seats in the legislative elections in 2006 - elections that included both the West Bank and Gaza.

Hamas won seats across the West Bank - including getting the highest number of votes in Nablus and Ramallah, two of the largest cities in the West Bank.

These elections did not affect the executive branch in which Abbas still held the presidency after his election in 2005.

Of course, the events of June 2007 has thrown things into uncharted territory.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

19. No they are not

They won the most parliamentary seats in the unified government of Gaza and the West Bank. Their armed takeover of Gaza was far from legal.

[IndianaGreen]

13. Perhaps Bibi should make a deal for Shalit as Sharon did for others

and progressives should point out to Hamas that holding hostages, as FARC does in Colombia, reflects very badly on their struggle for national liberation.

[oberliner]

14. Shalit negotiations / Hamas turns down latest offer on swap

Hamas has rejected Israel's latest deal offer for kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit, the Palestinian daily Al-Ayyam reported yesterday.

According to the paper, the gap between the two sides has narrowed to only 15 prisoners out of the 450 Hamas is demanding in exchange for Shalit. Israel has agreed to free the other 435. But the paper quoted Hamas sources as saying that the 15 prisoners Israel is refusing to release represent "a red line, without which there will be no deal."

The 15 include senior Fatah leader Marwan Barghouti, convicted of murdering five Israelis; Ahmed Sa'adat, secretary general of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, who was convicted of ordering the murder of government minister Rehavam Ze'evi; as well as three women: Amana Muna, convicted of luring teenager Ofir Nahum to his death in Ramallah via the Internet; Ahlam Tamimi, who was involved in the suicide bombing at the Sbarro pizzeria; and Kahira Sa'adi, who also abetted a suicide bombing.

http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/shalit-negotiations-hamas-turns-down-latest-offer-on-swap-1.2820

Edit to add: That was over a year ago.

[IndianaGreen]

15. Israel is scared shitless of Marwan Barghouti

Marwan Barghouti is the Palestinian version of Jomo Kenyatta and Nelson Mandela rolled into one. Kenyatta and Mandela were called terrorists not that long ago by the British colonials.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

20. Hyperbole much?

[azurnoir]

8. Red Crescent medic detained at Gaza crossing

Israeli forces detained a Red Crescent medic Wednesday night at the Erez crossing as he and four other medics were en route to a training conference in Jerusalem.

Maher Abu Auf, a Palestinian official at the Beit Hanoun crossing, said Israeli border guards detained medic Ashraf Al-Khatib and refused to explain why he was being held.

Red Crescent officials condemned the move, saying that Al-Khatib had permission to enter Israel for the training, and called the detention an act contrary to international law.

http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=294381

so why was this done is it somehow related?

[Adsos Letter]

10. is there any real evidence that Shalit is still alive?

[oberliner]

12. A video was released in October of 2009

I don't think there have been any signs of life since then.