I preface this post with the caveat that everything reported here is from Arab and Israeli media sources which are not always fully reliable and vetted. Even so, if there is any truth in the reports they are worth noting.
Haaretz says that a Kuwaiti newspaper is reporting that Gilad Shalit has been secretly moved by Hamas to Egypt as part of the initial stages of a prisoner exchange. He was accompanied by two high-ranking Hamas operatives. What puzzles me about this if it’s true is, why Hamas would take such a critical step given that there is not yet complete agreement with the Israelis on who and how many will be released. I would’ve thought that Hamas would want to wait to take such a dramatic step until all its ducks were in a row.
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It isn’t the first time Shalit has been reportedly moved to Egypt. The first time turned out to be a false alarm.
They would move him to Egypt supposedly for a prisoner exchange involving third parties, and in a neutral location. Hamas would not want it to take place in Gaza, and Israel wouldn’t like Hamas crossing into Israel, I would think. If the exchange is to to take place in Egypt, then it would be much easier to keep it under wraps and away from the public eye as well. I suspect Jimmy Carter is involved, and I’m sure Israel would rather have him stay in Egypt.