First gambit by Palestinians to ransom Shalit

The Palestinians have issued their first demand. They want every male under 18 and every female prisoner convicted of terrorism released just for information on kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit, not his release.


"The occupation will not get any information about its missing soldier until it commits to the following: First, the immediate release of all women in prison. Second, the immediate release of all children in prison younger than 18," is how the faxed statement read....sent, by the way, via a Palestinian government fax.

The statement was signed by Hamas' military wing, the Saladdin Brigade, and the Army of Islam. The last two groups are part of the small Popular Resistance Committees, which is a Hamas group.

Just so we know whom we're talking about, the prisoners would include Palestinian teenagers convicted of terrorism in Israeli courts who were stopped while trying to commit suicide attacks on Israeli civilians. It would also include the young Palestinian woman who lured an Israeli teenager to a horrendous death by torture via an online romance two years ago.

I recommend that Israel return one of these terrorists every hour to the Palestinians until Shalit is released unharmed...from a heliocopter flying above Gaza City at a height of about 2,000 feet or so.

For his part, Olmert has instructed the IDF to mass troops along the Gaza border and has ruled out negotiations over Shalit. Entry and exit of the Gaza Strip are closed off `by land and by sea', he said in a tough speech in Jerusalem today.

Olmert said Israel’s response would reach every terrorist, every terrorist group where they are, however far away and wherever they hide. "We will act to restore our soldier safe and well to his family,” he said.

Olmert stressed that time is running out for the Palestinians. Israel will not be the object of "Hamas terrorist extortion...."No negotiations are taking place on the release of prisoners – nor will they be. Israel does not intend to put up with what Olmert called .."bloodthirsty, terrorist fundamentalist, fanaticism."

High time.

The main reason for the blockade is to prevent Shalit from being sold to terrorists elsewhere, which is what happened to Ron Arad, kidnapped by Hezbollah and reportedly sold to Iran.