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Last update - 19:24 10/07/2009
Report: Gilad Shalit talks to resume soon
By Haaretz Service
Tags: Israel news, Mubarak, Shalit 

Talks between Israel and Hamas on a prisoner swap involving captive Israel Defense Forces soldier Gilad Shalit will resume soon, Egyptian sources told the pan-Arab daily Al Hayyat.

Shalit was captured by Gaza militants in a cross-border raid in June 2006, and has not been heard from since. Hamas have demanded the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for Shalit's freedom.

The source said the issue of the prisoner swap topped the agenda during recent consultations in Cairo between the head of the diplomatic-security bureau in the Defense Ministry, Amos Gilad, and Egyptian intelligence chief Omar Suleiman.
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Gilad returned to Israel on Friday despite an earlier announcement that he was to remain in Cairo for a few more days, Israel Radio reported.

According to Israel Radio, Noam Shalit, the father of the abducted IDF soldier, met on Friday with Hagai Hadas, who was appointed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to oversee the negotiations with Hamas.

Hadas, the former Mossad official, has been the subject of intense media interest after his name was linked to a bio-medical company which recently claimed to have sold a revolutionary patent that warns of heart attacks. The veracity of the claim has been called into question.

Following the meeting with Noam Shalit, Hadas said the prisoner swap talks are his top priority.

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak accused Israel on Thursday of sabotaging at the last minute a deal that would have seen Shalit freed from Hamas captivity in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners held in Israel.

Israel Radio quoted Mubarak as saying that Israeli negotiators added new conditions just as the deal was about to be clinched. Mubarak maintained that Hamas was ready to transfer Shalit to Egypt, but then Israel began changing its terms, saying that it was willing to release some prisoners but not others, and the deal fell through.


Senior Israeli officials said that of the 450 Palestinian prisoners whose release Hamas has demanded, Israel has refused to release 125, and asked Hamas to formulate an alternate list, Israel Radio reported. According to these officials, it was Hamas' failure to submit a new list that scuttled the deal.

Earlier this week, Mubarak told President Shimon Peres, who was visiting Cairo, that Shalit was in good health, and he voiced hope that he would be freed soon.


Meanwhile Thursday, the Group of Eight leading industrialized nations called for Shalit's immediate release and for the opening of the Gaza crossings to allow humanitarian aid, goods and people into the Hamas-controlled enclave.

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      1.   G8 01:02  |  UK 10/07/09
      2.   How many times? 01:10  |  repeat 10/07/09
      3.   It IS Israel`s fault 01:23  |  Arie 10/07/09
      4.   Doh! 01:56  |  Mark Lincoln 10/07/09
      5.   how can it be israels fault? 02:28  |  viktor 10/07/09
      6.   #3 Arie 02:39  |  Chris Linthwaite 10/07/09
      7.   refuse the deal 03:49  |  patriot 10/07/09
      8.   last minute 04:02  |  patriot 10/07/09
      9.   It is a simple issue at stake 04:12  |  Johnboy 10/07/09
      10.   Shalit 04:22  |  Masood 10/07/09
      11.   To #1 UK: It is ridiculous of the G8 to link the relase of Shalit 11:28  |  Paul 10/07/09
      12.   nevr deal with kidnappers is the orthodox advice 12:01  |  vhardman 10/07/09
      13.   Nice to reveal the world to us you live in patriot 12:15  |  Jew-and Bookburner 10/07/09
      14.   Masood`s comments 16:36  |  Mashtin Al-Hakir 10/07/09
      15.   ICRC need to confirm his state of health first 16:38  |  lily 10/07/09
      16.   Paul # 11 That Is False 16:51  |  Jeff Northridge 10/07/09
      17.   Linthwaite:For once a frank hamass comment 17:00  |  Arie 10/07/09
      18.   to Arie....just free Palestinian prisoners first. 17:18  |  Tony Silver 10/07/09
      19.   release of all political prisioners 19:26  |  aijaznisar 10/07/09
      20.   When did they pause? 21:26  |  Fortuna Benmayor 10/07/09
      21.   When does the charade end? No proof of life=No talks. 21:33  |  4:20 10/07/09
      22.   Mashtin 06:13  |  Masood 11/07/09
      23.   To Mashtin 07:26  |  Masood 11/07/09
      24.   Hamas should consider Israel`s actions 07:53  |  Mark Lincoln 11/07/09
      25.   16 Jeff Northridge - You Really Think So? 08:53  |  Mark of Lewiston 11/07/09
      26.   Mark of Lewiston # 24 Not To The Extent That You Want 13:11  |  Jeff Northridge 11/07/09
      27.   #17 Arie 14:21  |  Chris Linthwaite 11/07/09
      28.   The deal is that Shalit will be handed to the Egyptians 14:30  |  Chris Linthwaite 11/07/09
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