Hamas likes to lie about its “operations,” and the kidnapping of Cpl. Gilad Shalit is no exception. The interesting thing about this story in AP is that they actually admit that Hamas lies about responsibility—in the news article.
DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) – Khaled Mashaal’s aides praised the capture of an Israeli soldier as a daring operation but claimed Wednesday that the Damascus-based Hamas leader played no role in it. Israel sees him as the brains behind the abduction and threatened to try to assassinate him.
[…] Hamas has adopted the same line after each suicide bombing and attack carried out in its name over the past decade. Key political leaders have always insisted Hamas’ military wing is an independent body they know nothing about and do not give orders to.
The 19-year-old Shalit’s capture is no exception. Hamas’ military wing was one of three groups that claimed responsibility, but Hamas officials have insisted they were not aware the operation was being planned.
“The military people, the resistance fighters and the mujahedeen are the decision-makers in everything that’s related to the prisoner,” said Abu Marzouk.
“It would be stupid for anyone to assume that anyone from outside … or inside the Gaza Strip can talk to the military people,” he added. “Their leadership is independent, their planning is independent, their decisions are independent.”
Still, the political wing of Hamas is believed to set the group’s general policies.
I’ll bet these paragraphs get elided in the update story about Hamas’ responsibility in the kidnapping. And there’s also this choice quote. Hamas utterly refuses to change a thing about themselves to end sanctions, so what do they say now? They’ll give back Cpl. Shalit if the world ends their boycott of Hamas.
The Damascus-based leadership clearly sees the benefits of the soldier’s abduction. Abu Marzouk said it would help push for an end to the international boycott on the Hamas-led government and for the release of Palestinians held by Israel.
“If they want calm, they have to break the sanctions,” he said.
“We don’t object to a political solution. But it’s up to Israel to accept the Egyptian mediation to talk about conditions for a deal regarding the Israeli prisoner.”
Yeah, that’s gonna happen.