Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Thursday 'conditional readiness' to release 1,000 Palestinian captives to secure the release of soldier Gilad Shalit but said that the Zionist entity will not pay an unlimited price.
In a live address to the country, Netanyahu said all Israelis wanted Shalit back safely but claimed Israel could not "pay any price" because past experience showed that many Palestinians released had returned to carry out attacks on Israelis.
"Israel is willing to pay a heavy price for the release of Shalit, but not 'at any price.' This is the truth, and I am saying it now," Netanyahu claimed, adding that Israel will continue to make every effort to bring Shalit home while maintaining the security of Israel's citizens.
Netanyahu's address comes four days after the family and supporters of Shalit began a protest march from the Shalit's Galilee home to the prime minister's official residence in occupied Jerusalem.
Netanyahu said the decision to free Palestinian captives "is a difficult decision for any government." Despie this, he said he had agreed to the latest offer from Hamas. "The German mediator's offer which we agreed to accept called for the release of 1,000 people. This is the price I am prepared to pay to bring Gilad home. I said yes to the deal and it is ready for immediate implementation," Netanyahu said.
He was referring to a moment last December when a deal and a prisoner exchange appeared imminent but in the end never came about. Media reports at the time spoke of 1,000 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for Shalit, although there was never official confirmation from the Israeli side.
"I am steadfast on two basic principles: The first principle is that dangerous terrorists will not return to the West Bank from where they can continue to harm Israel's citizens," Netanyahu went on to say, adding that the freed prisoners could go to Tunisia or the Gaza Strip or any other place, but not to the West Bank because this would afford them access to Israeli cities.
The second sticking point Netanyahu mentioned was "arch-terrorists." They would not be freed as part of the deal, he added.
[Source: Al-Manar TV]
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