Gilad's father to Hamas: The best offer you'll get

Noam Shalit, the father of abducted Israel Defense Forces soldier Gilad Shalit, urged Hamas to reach an agreement with Israel over a prisoner swap that will include his son, saying the current offer was the best they will get.

Speaking at the protest tent outside the house of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, the soldier's father received hundreds of visitors and supporters including many lawmakers. "I suggest Hamas reach a deal. These are the best terms it will get," Shalit said.

The prominent guests who came to see Shalit at the tent yesterday included Infrastructure Minister Benjamin Ben-Eliezer of Labor. "This is the time for action," Ben-Eliezer said. "There's no time for debate or arguments. I am aware that there's a serious moral argument over the price but despite everything that the prime minister has done, it has not yet reached the cabinet table. I cam calling on the prime minister not to let the clock go on ticking. This government cannot depart without bringing Shalit back."

MK Dalia Itzik (Kadima) visited Shalit later in the day and said the prime minister had gone to great pains to bring about the soldier's release. Itzik was heckled by youths during an impromptu press conference and quickly left after her meeting with Shalit.

Meanwhile, hundreds of ordinary citizens arrived at the tent to show support for the soldier's family. At the same time a small group of people participated in a demonstration near the protest tent against the release of terrorists in a possible prisoner swap.

"I respect the Shalit family but there are a number of ways to bring Shalit back that have not been tried like a military and financial option," a protester said.

Senior Israeli negotiator Ofer Dekel is currently holding indirect talks via Egyptian mediation with Hamas in Cairo to reach an agreement with the Islamic group over the release of Shalit. A senior government source said Dekel's goal was to bridge the gap between Israel and Hamas over the identity of the hundreds of Palestinians who will be released from Israeli prisons in return for Shalit.