Report: Shalit release not a condition for Gaza truce

Last update - 11:37 14/06/2008    
 Report: Israel won't condition Gaza cease-fire on Gilad Shalit's release

  By Haaertz Service 
An Egyptian source said that Israel has agreed not to condition a cease-fire with Hamas in the Gaza Strip on the release of abducted Israel Defense Forces soldier Gilad Shalit, Al-Sharq Al-Awsat reported on Saturday.

 

According to the London-based Arabic newspaper, the source said that Egyptian intelligence chief Omar Suleiman promised Israel that the release of Shalit, who has been held captive since his abduction from the Gaza border in June 2006, would top the agenda following the declaration of a cease-fire.

Egypt has been working for the last two months to secure a deal between Hamas and Israel that would guarantee calm in the coastal territory. Israel decided this week to put off a large-scale invasion of the Gaza Strip in order to give the talks a chance to succeed.

 

The Israeli envoy to the talks with Egypt, Defense Ministry official Amos Gilad, met Suleiman earlier this week to discuss the cease-fire initiative.

 

In an interview with Israel radio on Saturday, Gilad refused to verify or deny the report, but said Shalit remained a central issue in the Egyptian-brokered talks.