Hamas leader to pass letter to Shalit
Group official confirms Mashaal has promised to deliver to captured Israeli soldier a letter from his father
A Hamas official has confirmed that the Damascus-based leader of the Palestinian group has promised to deliver to captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit a letter from his father.
Hamas' political bureau member Mohammed Nasr told The Associated Press Saturday that the emir of Qatar gave the letter to Khaled Mashaal during a visit to Damascus this week where he participated in a four-way summit with the leaders of Syria, France and Turkey.
"What has been requested is to pass the letter to Shalit," Nasr said. "Khaled Mashaal has received the letter and promised to pass it to Shalit."
On Thursday, officials in French President Nicolas Sarkozy's office said the letter from Shalit's father, Noam, is to be handed over to the emir of Qatar, who is to pass it to Mashaal.
Shalit has been held by Palestinian gunmen in the Gaza Strip for 804 days.
