Subscribe to Print Edition | Tue., June 10, 2008 Sivan 7, 5768 | | Israel Time: 09:37 (EST+7) web haaretz.com   Back to Homepage Rosner's Domain Diplomacy Defense Jewish World Opinion National Print Edition Advertising Books Peres Conference Business Real Estate Easy Start Travel Week's End Anglo File

Abducted IDF soldier Gilad Shalit. (Archives) Last update - 09:34 10/06/2008 Israeli sources: Shalit letter is Hamas 'goodwill' gesture By Barak Ravid and Jack Khoury, Haaretz Correspondents, and Reuters Tags: gilad shalit, hamas, israel  Israeli sources say it is possible that Hamas' decision to hand Israel a letter from abducted soldier Gilad Shalit is an expression of "goodwill," in an effort to show that the group is willing to take some steps toward a truce deal. In recent weeks Israel has demanded that any agreement for calm in the Gaza Strip, and the lifting of its siege on the Strip, would also include progress on the question of Gilad Shalit, who has been held in Gaza since his abduction in June 2006. Israeli officials have asked that progress would constitute the transfer of the abducted soldier from the Gaza Strip to the Egyptians. Hamas has so far refused to agree to this. Advertisement Former U.S. president Jimmy Carter visited the region last month and met with Hamas leaders, including meeting Khaled Meshal in Damascus. At the end of his tour of the region, which also included the Palestinian Authority and Israel, Carter said that Meshal had agreed to his request for a humanitarian gesture - to relay a letter from Gilad Shalit to his family. The letter from the kidnapped soldier was received by fax at the Carter Center in Ramallah on Sunday night, and was transferred to the Shalit family in Israel yesterday. The one page letter was authenticated, in part by comparison of the handwriting and also by examining its content. The letter was identified as having been written by Gilad Shalit, and it referred to a number of recent events, which suggest that it was composed not long ago. In its announcement yesterday, the Carter Center said that "President Carter and his team will try to arrange the transfer of a letter in response from [Shalit's] parents to Gilad Shalit in the near future." Efforts to gain the release of Shalit have been frozen, in part because of the near absolute halt in Egyptian mediation. Omar Suleiman, the Egyptian chief of intelligence, told his counterparts in Israel that an agreement for a truce would enable the resumption of Egyptian mediation. At this stage the differences between the two sides are substantial. Hamas has given Israel a list of 450 Palestinian prisoners being held in Israel whom it wants released, but Israel has only approved 70 of those names. As for the rest of the prisoners, Israel refuses to consider freeing them because it argues they have murdered Israelis. A member of the Hamas politburo, Mohammed Nizal, said yesterday the issue of Shalit is on hold and has not been raised in recent discussions because of Israel's stance, which, he claims, rejects any attempt to reach a solution. In an interview from Damascus to radio Al-Shams, broadcasting from Nazareth, Nizal rejected reports that there were differences within Hamas that are preventing progress toward a deal on Shalit. Nizal maintains there is agreement among all Palestinians factions on this issue, adding that the problem "is Israel, where Barak and Livni are preventing progress, and are foiling any attempt to reach agreement on this matter, in an effort, first and foremost, to undermine Prime Minister Ehud Olmert." The senior Hamas official also said that in the coming days there is no meeting planned between Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Hamas politburo chief Khaled Meshal. He also denied reports of an upcoming Meshal visit to Cairo for talks on a possible Shalit deal. In reference to the internal Palestinian dialogue, Nizal said Hamas was cautious about the declarations being made by the PA president. He said Hamas was not the problem: "We are always ready for dialogue but Abu Mazen [Abbas] is posing preconditions for negotiations that are not leading anywhere." He also reiterated a Hamas warning to Israel against a possible large-scale incursion into the Gaza Strip: "We do not wish for a military operation in the Gaza Strip but if it happens, we are prepared and Israel will pay a heavy price." Related articles: PA: Rice to hold 3-way talks with Livni, chief Palestinian negotiator Qureia Hamas revises prisoner list for Shalit exchange No one's calm yet Bookmark to del.icio.us   Sign of life Family of abducted IDF solider Gilad Shalit receives new sign of life. Happy Jews San Francisco museum details positive impact of Jews on city.

Read & React Shalit's father: Gilad begs for his life in new letter Responses: 59 Mosh Arens: Israeli politicians using Iran threat to ignore Gaza rockets, cede Golan Responses: 2 Israeli envoy to London: U.K. has become hotbed of anti-Israeli views Responses: 33 Amir Oren: Olmert is an albatross around neck of Washington Send response Rosner's Domain On a par with the policies of President Bush Should you mess with the Zohan? (WTR) Poll: Philip Roth, Victor Frankl or Leon Uris? Obama and Jerusalem: did you really believe him? What did Obama say to Joe Lieberman? (WTR) More Headlines 09:02 Shalit's father: Gilad begs for his life in new letter 09:35 Olmert, Livni, Barak to debate: Truce or broad IDF op in Gaza 09:34 Israeli sources: Shalit letter is Hamas 'goodwill' gesture 09:37 Turkish, Israeli sources: Israel-Syria talks to resume Thursday 03:37 Congress gets behind Israel's aid request 02:53 Israeli envoy to London: U.K. has become hotbed of radical anti-Israeli views 08:53 Poland loses to Germany in Euro, as 1939 Nazi conquest again makes headlines 08:11 Interior Min. sets up unit to grant refugee status 04:34 Israel to transfer PA tax funds held because of spat with PM Fayyad 05:34 Canadian PM cancels visit to Israel due to Olmert probe 04:57 Arab towns to distribute 'Nakba' booklet outside schools 05:58 Hapoalim may face heavy fines over Hayarkon money-laundering scandal Previous Editions Select Day 09 jun 08 jun 06 jun 05 jun 04 jun 03 jun 02 jun 01 jun 30 may 29 may 28 may 27 may

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