Israel has already agreed to release hundreds of Palestinian detainees in exchange for Cpl. Shalit , but an Iranian delegation to Damascus paid off Mashaal to thwart the deal by making demands Israel would never agree to.
Mashaal received tens of millions of dollars for personal use.
Source : Yediot Aharonot. (www.ynetnews.com)
Egyptian officials briefed European diplomats about a conversation that took place between the Hamas leader and the Egyptian minister of intelligence , genereal Omar Sulliman , who recently visited Damascus. The Egyptian sources said that Mashaal was preventing the deal from taking place because he was worried of a lose of influcence amidst Hamas terrorists.
Cpl. Shalit was abducted by Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorists earlier this year from within Israel's territory , while he was engaging in a routine border patrol near the Gaza strip.
I have a copy of the headline here: http://static.flickr.com/93/273952702_62d73f13cf.jpg?v=0
It reads : "Take 50 millions dollars and don't release Shalit" - Iran paid Khaled Mashaal to thwart release of kidnapped soldier