GAZA: Haniyeh renews call for end to sanctions, says prisoner swap now up to Israel

Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh on Tuesday (April 10) renewed his calls on European countries and the United States to lift sanctions against the Palestinian government. Israel and the Quartet of Middle East negotiators -- the United States, the European Union, Russia and the United Nations -- imposed a ban on direct aid to the Palestinian Authority after the Islamist Hamas movement was elected last year. Israel and the Quartet have continued the sanctions despite the formation of a new unity government. In addition to the aid embargo, the United States and Israel have threatened sanctions against banks that transfer money to the Palestinian government and they have refused to transfer money pledged by Arab donors. Banks that make transfers without authorisation risk being frozen out of the U.S. banking system. At a news conference on Tuesday, Haniyeh referred to a forthcoming tour of European countries by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas aimed at persuading them to end the aid embargo. "There will be a tour aimed at discussing the financial issue and how to resume (the process) of offering money to the Palestinian people through the states of the European Union," he said. Haniyeh also called on the United States to stop putting pressure on banks not to deal with his government. "What we are concerned with regarding the U.S. administration is that it should cease to restrict the movement of (funds through) Arab and Palestinian banks. We do not want it (the U.S.) to offer money, we want it to stop restricting banks." The United States has said there will be no change unless the new government met conditions set by the Quartet to recognise Israel, renounce violence and accept past peace deals. Hamas also confirmed that it has handed over a list of names of Palestinian prisoners it wants to be released in exchange for an Israeli soldier, Corporal Gilad Shalit, seized by Gaza militants in a cross border raid last June. The list includes Palestinian leader Marwan Barghouti who is serving five life prison terms for murder. Haniyeh said they were awaiting Israel's response and "the ball is in the Israeli court". "I hope that happiness will soon enter every Palestinian house when an honourable deal is achieved, in which hero prisoners who spent their youth in jails would be freed," he said. "We are serious in concluding this deal and I hope the negotiations will be concluded in a way that ends the detention of our people in Israeli jails. The ball is in the Israeli court now and the issue is dependent on the extent to which the Israeli occupation (authorities) respond to the just national demand of freeing our prisoners from the jails of occupation." Israeli media quoted Israeli government sources as saying progress had been made during negotiations over Shalit's release but that a deal was "a long way away". For Palestinians, freedom for those held in Israeli jails is a highly emotive issue. Palestinian officials gave no numbers or names of prisoners who are on the list given to Israel. Israeli media reports said the roster listed about 1,300 prisoners. An exchange deal, after months of a deadlock since Hamas claimed victory, could be key to any progress in talks that Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas have agreed to hold on a biweekly basis. AR/AD

ITN Source | April 10, 2007

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