Last update - 00:00 03/12/2007
Red Cross: Hamas isn't ruling out handing over letter from Shalit
By Avi Issacharoff, Haaretz Correspondent
Hamas has not ruled out handing over a letter from abducted Israel Defense Forces soldier Gilad Shalit to his parents, the International Red Cross' representative in Gaza said Monday.
Eyad Nasser told Haaretz that Hamas has recently begun showing greater flexibility on the Red Cross proposal, but stressed the organization has yet to agree. Nasser said a letter written months ago by Shalit's parents remains in Red Cross hands.
"What is new from our point of view is that Hamas is no longer rejecting the proposal outright," Nasser said, adding that his organization established contact with Shalit's kidnappers immediately following the abduction. "This is our obligation and our mandate."
"We asked Hamas through indirect channels we have with Palestinian organizations in general to allow us to visit Gilad Shalit," he said. "When they [the abductors] made it clear they were unprepared to accept this, we asked them to allow the transfer of a letter from him to his parents and vice versa."
"We have received a more positive response from the organization in the form of 'we'll consider it favorably,'" he continued, adding the Red Cross would continue to make a maximum effort towards securing Shalit's freedom.