According to Arab media sources, a senior Hamas official declared over the weekend that the upcoming ransom deal between Hizbullah and Israel proves that kidnapping IDF soldiers is the best method to free terrorists detained by Israel. "The deal with Hezbollah proves again that the way to release prisoners is by kidnapping soldiers," according to Osama Hamdan, a senior Hamas official in Lebanon.

Israeli negotiations with Hamas for the release of captive IDF soldier Gilad Shalit are ongoing. Hamas demands thus far have included that a large number of imprisoned terrorists be released, including those with "blood on their hands" and senior terrorist commanders such as Marwan Barghouti.