Noam Shalit: We fear negotiations may take years
Day after Hamas releases videotape of captive soldier, his father says prisoner exchange deal still far off; Sarkozy calls to offer support
The father of kidnapped IDF soldier Gilad Shalit said Saturday that he fears the negotiations between Israel and Hamas on a prisoner exchange deal may take years.
Noam Shalit said that despite the videotape Hamas transferred to Israel, in which the soldier urges the government to seal an agreement for his release, there was still no breakthrough in the negotiations.
"We are not on the brink of a deal," the father told reports outside the family home in Mitzpe Hila.
Shalit video
A spokesman for Hamas said Saturday that the Islamist group would not ease its conditions for a prisoner exchange deal with Israel, which include the release of 450 "heavy" prisoners by Israel.
Noam Shalit said the release of the video was an "important step," but added that it "does not have any influence" on the continued struggle to free his son.
The father said that following the release of the tape he received a phone call from French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who offered his support.
Gilad Shalit holds dual Israeli and French citizenship.
He was kidnapped by Palestinian terrorists during a cross-border raid on an IDF base near Gaza on June 25, 2006.
In the tape, Shalit says: "Hello, this is Gilad, son of Noam and Aviva Shalit, brother of Hadas and Yoel, who lives in Mitzpe Hila. My ID number is 397029. As you can see I am holding today's Falasteen newspaper published in Gaza. I read the newspaper in order to find information about myself, and in hopes of reading about information of my return home and my imminent release."
Gilad then continues: "I hope the current government headed by Benjamin Netanyahu doesn't waste this opportunity to reach an agreement and as a result, allow me to fulfill my dream and be released."
Addressing his parents and siblings, Gilad says: "I wish to send my well-wishes to my family and tell them that I love them and miss them greatly, and hope for the day I'll see them again. Dad, Yoel, and Hadas, do you remember the day you arrived at my base in the Golan Heights, on December 31, 2005? We toured around the base and you took a picture of me on a Merkava tank and on one of the old tanks at the entrance to the base. Later we went to a restaurant in one of the Druze villages and on the way we took pictures on the side of the road, against the backdrop of the snowy Hermon Mountain."
"I want to tell you that I feel well in medical terms, and that the Mujahidin from the al-Qassam Brigades are treating me excellently. Thank you very much and goodbye," Gilad concludes.
Gilad's parents, Noam and Aviva, watched the tape privately in their home on Friday, and later granted the Prime Minister's Office permission to publicize it.
