Israel Matzav

Shalit's family receives a letter

The family of kidnapped IDF soldier Gilad Shalit received a letter today from their son via former US President Jimmy Carter's Carter Center in Ramallah. According to reports, the family will be able to respond to the letter via the Carter Center. The Shalit family has confirmed receipt of the letter, and has said that the handwriting in the letter is their son's and that it was apparently written recently.

The abducted soldier's father Noam told Haaretz that in the letter Gilad begs for his life and requests that efforts be made to secure his release as soon as possible. Noam Shalit refused, however, to reveal any more of the letter's contents.

The letter was transferred by the Carter Center, after it was handed over to the Center's Ramallah office.

Hamas' Damascus-based political leader Khaled Meshal told former U.S. President Jimmy Carter in April he would allow the soldier to send his family a letter as a humanitarian gesture.

The Center said the former U.S. president will attempt to arrange for a return letter to be sent from Shalit's parents to their son and continue to help mediate a deal for his release.

Noam Shalit also said that the new sign of life is not evidence of any progress in talks to free his son.

"This is better than nothing, but it doesn't relax us, and it doesn't change the fact that Gilad has been in captivity for almost two years and it doesn't look like there is any progress in the contacts for Gilad's release," the soldier's father stated.

A senior Jerusalem source stressed that the transfer of the new sign of life was believed to be part of Hamas efforts to achieve a cease-fire with Israel in Gaza.

The source added that Hamas is attempting to frame the move as a goodwill gesture, and that the Islamic militant group hopes it will lead Israel to drop its demand that negotiations for Shalit's release be included in talks for a Gaza truce.

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Defense Minister Ehud Barak and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni are set to meet on Tuesday to discuss a proposed Egyptian-brokered cease-fire with Gaza militant groups.

Prior to Monday's new sign of life, the Shalits had received two letters and a taped message from Gilad.

Unlike prisoners everyplace else in the world, Israeli prisoners of Arab countries and 'Palestinian' terror organizations are not allowed such niceties as Red Cross visits or contacts with their families.

It's more than a little ironic that Hamas is providing this 'sign of life' in a bid to make sure Shalit is not included in any 'cease fire' arrangement.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 10:58 PM