Yaron Blum, Israel’s government coordinator for prisoners and missing persons, responded Sunday morning to the Goldin family's accusations following the transfer of the body of the terrorist Amiad Khalil Ibrahim to Gaza in violation of a Security Cabinet decision.
"The young man whose body was returned to Gaza is not a Hamas activist and does not meet the parameters whereby we can leave him with us. We have dozens of other bodies," Blum told Reshet Bet.
Commenting on Leah Goldin's accusation that he is constantly lying to the families of Hamas' hostages, Blum replied, "I do not intend to confront families, I understand their pain. The Goldin family received detailed answers. I regret her statements."
Blum made it clear that the State of Israel is working to obtain a deal to release the prisoners and missing persons. "We are operating here on a number of brokerage channels. It is difficult to widen the scope on this issue. Hamas knows what these channels are."
"We are working hard to reach a state of indirect discourse and negotiations between Israel and Hamas whose purpose is to bring the prisoners and missing persons out of the Gaza Strip. There is progress in this direction, there is more than one channel working together and synchronized together to try to bring about a deal that will release the prisoners and the missing persons."
However, Blum noted that negotiations are far from ripening. “I think we are making strides in this direction. Hamas is not yet ripe [for a deal] and the gaps are very large between their many demands and what the State of Israel will be willing to give, but we are definitely in the process of progressing this."
"Unfortunately, Hamas does not yet understand that something has also changed in the Israeli public, and I believe that the Shalit deal will not be repeated," Blum explained.