VOA标准英语2009年-Israel-Hamas Prisoner Swap Faces Obstacles

By Robert Berger
Jerusalem
03 October 2009

The release of a new videotape of a captive Israeli soldier has not raised expectations for a broader Israeli-Palestinian prisoner swap¹ in the near future.

 
Image taken from video released by Hamas, 02 Oct 2009, shows Israeli soldier Sgt. Gilad Schalit held captive for more than three years in Gaza Strip
The father of captive Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit is not optimistic about his son's release, despite a videotape published on Friday showing for the first time that he is alive and well. Speaking a day after the Islamic militant² group Hamas handed over the tape in exchange for the release of 20 female Palestinian prisoners, Noam Shalit said he does not expect a breakthrough.

In a statement to the media, he said Israel and Hamas are "not on the brink³ of a deal" and that he fears negotiations⁴ on a prisoner swap could take years.

Gilad Shalit was captured by Hamas militants⁵ in a cross-border raid more than three years ago and has been held in the Gaza Strip ever since. Hamas is demanding the release of about a thousand Palestinian prisoners in exchange for Shalit; but Israel has refused because the list includes dozens of top militants involved in deadly suicide bombings and shooting attacks.

Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri told reporters in Gaza that the ball is in Israel's court.

He said the only thing holding up a prisoner swap is what he described as the "stubbornness of the Zionist occupation."

Hamas officials say if Israel agrees to free all the prisoners on the list, Gilad Shalit could be freed tomorrow.

1 swap   

n.交换；vt.交换，用...作交易

参考例句：

• I will swap you my bicycle for your radio.我想拿我的自行车换你的收音机。
• This comic was a swap that I got from Nick.这本漫画书是我从尼克那里换来的。

2 militant   

adj.激进的，好斗的；n.激进分子，斗士

参考例句：

• Some militant leaders want to merge with white radicals.一些好斗的领导人要和白人中的激进派联合。
• He is a militant in the movement.他在那次运动中是个激进人物。

3 brink   

n.(悬崖、河流等的)边缘，边沿

参考例句：

• The tree grew on the brink of the cliff.那棵树生长在峭壁的边缘。
• The two countries were poised on the brink of war.这两个国家处于交战的边缘。

4 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

5 militants   

激进分子，好斗分子( militant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来，反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
• Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此，巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。