Israel seeks European mediation for its soldiers’ release

Israel seeks European mediation for its soldiers’ release by FalastinNews Staff

The Israeli authorities have asked European mediators, who have contacts with Hamas Movement, to intervene for the release of Israeli soldiers who were captured during Israel's summer aggression on Gaza, media sources revealed.

Diplomatic parties told Al-Araby al-Jadeed website that Israeli security officials, related to premier Benyamin Netanyahu, have made contacts with German and European mediators to intervene in the expected swap deal.
Israel has repeatedly denied the capture of Israeli soldiers in Gaza.

Contacts with Hamas Movement have already started, the sources added, without mentioning whether the talks have been done inside or outside Gaza.

Hamas has earlier demanded the release of all Palestinian ex-prisoners, who were re-arrested after being released during Wafa al-Arar Swap deal in 2011, before taking part in any new swap deal talks.

In the latest agression on Gaza Strip, Hamas announced that it had captured an Israeli soldier in the neighborhood of Hayye al Tuffah (Apple) in Gaza. After the neighborhood had been attacked by Israeli airstrikes for three nights, Israeli ground troops entered the neighborhood and according to the Kataeb al-Qassam brigades, Hamas' military wing, they captured an Israeli soldier. They later announced that they  captured another one in another operation.