Israel: Prisoner swap would be ‘major mistake’

updated 6:15 p.m. ET July 10, 2006

JERUSALEM - The two most powerful players in the violent confrontation over the capture of an Israeli soldier by Palestinian militants offered sharply differing visions Monday on how to resolve the crisis.

Hamas political leader Khaled Mashaal demanded a prisoner swap. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said that would be a “major mistake.”

The men spoke within hours of each other — Olmert in Jerusalem, Mashaal in Damascus, Syria. Neither expressed any willingness to compromise, boding poorly for any end soon to Israel’s 12-day-old incursion into the Gaza Strip that has killed nearly 60 Palestinians.

“They will never be able to win from me any minor concession,” Mashaal insisted in his first public appearance since the June 25 capture of the 19-year-old Israeli soldier, Cpl. Gilad Shalit.

‘Blood on his hands’
Speaking to foreign reporters, Olmert saved some of his harshest rhetoric for the political head of Hamas, whose Islamic militants have staged dozens of suicide bombings in Israel.

“Khaled Mashaal is a terrorist with blood on his hands. He’s not a legitimate partner for anything. He’s not a partner and he won’t be a partner. I will not negotiate with Hamas,” the Israeli leader said.

NBC VIDEO Israeli air strikes kill militants, children July 10: Three Israeli air strikes kill three Palestinian militants and at least three children in Gaza. NBC’s Richard Engel reports. MSNBC

At the same time, however, Olmert said the violence in Gaza would not deter him from carrying out his plan to leave the West Bank, despite a growing sentiment among Israelis that last year’s Gaza pullout was a failure because it hasn’t stopped Palestinian attacks on Israel.

Shalit’s seizure in a cross-border raid and Israel’s harsh response have turned the already tense relations between Israel and the Palestinians’ Hamas-led government into a violent onslaught.

Blood continues to flow
Four militants were killed in three Israeli airstrikes Monday, and three others were killed in a fourth Israeli attack in northern Gaza on Monday night. The army said the last attack targeted militants who had just launched a rocket into Israel.

An 8-year-old girl was among five Palestinians wounded late Sunday by an Israeli missile attack targeting a car loaded with explosives. Rockets fired into Israel on Sunday wounded one person.

Dispelling media reports of a likely deal with Hamas, Olmert said “trading prisoners with a terrorist, bloody organization such as Hamas is a major mistake that will cause a lot of damage to the future of state of Israel.”

But Mashaal insisted Israel must release some prisoners before Shalit can be freed.

“The solution is simple: an exchange. But Israel refuses that,” he said, adding that the Israelis are “under an illusion” if they think escalating their offensive will win the soldier’s release.

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