Hamas officials travel to Syria to discuss Schalit

'Al-Hayat' report says delegation will bring up suggestions made by German negotiator Gerard Conrad; Schalit bicycle rally head in Gilboa.

By JPOST.COM STAFF
Schalit 311 (photo credit: Associated Press)
Schalit 311
(photo credit: Associated Press)
Five senior Hamas officials will head to Damascus on Sunday to discuss kidnapped IDF soldier Gilad Schalit with the top Hamas leadership, the London-based Al-Hayat newspaper reported on Friday.
The Hamas officials, including “Foreign Minister” Mahmoud Zahar and Halil el- Haya, Hamas’s top military figure in Gaza, hail from the Strip and Denmark. They reportedly plan to bring up suggestions made by German negotiator Gerard Conrad.
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Conrad will visit Gaza once Hamas has answers from Damascus, according to Palestinian sources.
“We will discuss his [Conrad’s] new suggestions, as the negotiator is expected to visit Gaza soon and receive answers from us regarding his suggestions,” a Hamas official told Al-Hayat. “Only after we return from Damascus will we provide him with our answers.”
According to the report, the Hamas delegation will also discuss the political situation in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, in light of Al- Jazeera’s leak of secret Palestinian documents regarding peace negotiations with Israel.
Meanwhile, hundreds of Jews and Arabs from the Gilboa region embarked on a bicycle rally on Friday morning in a call to free Schalit.
Following the demonstration, a march took place, ending with a support rally.
Relatives of Schalit took part in the demonstration.