Iran Paid To Stop Captive’s Release
by Benny Avni, New York Sun
UNITED NATIONS — Iran has paid Hamas $50 million to prevent a deal to release a kidnapped Israeli soldier, Corporal Gilad Shalit, Israel’s ambassador said here yesterday.
Dan Gillerman did not disclose his sources, but told The New York Sun that based on “reliable” sources the Israeli government believes Tehran has paid the money to the Damascus-based Hamas leader, Khaled Meshaal, to stop a deal to release Mr. Shalit.
Addressing the Security Council during a periodic discussion on the Middle East yesterday, Mr. Gillerman referred to a report yesterday in Israel’s Yediot Ahronot, saying Tehran paid $50 million to Mr. Meshaal, “to sabotage the negotiations on the release of Corporal Gilad Shalit and prevent his release.”
The kidnapping of Mr. Shalit in Gaza on June 25 started a major round of confrontation between Israelis and Hamas, followed later by the July kidnapping in Lebanon of two Israeli soldiers, Ehud Goldwaser and Eldad Regev, which ignited the war in southern Lebanon.
