Region | Palestinian Territories
Egypt 'making efforts' to secure Shalit release
Egypt is doing all it can to secure the return of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, it told Israel during talks on Tuesday.
- Reuters
- Published: 08:31 June 24, 2008
- Image Credit: Gulf News Archive
- Gilad Shalit has been held for two years.
Sharm Al Shaikh: Egypt is doing all it can to secure the return of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, it told Israel during talks on Tuesday.
Gilad is being held by Hamas militants in Gaza for the past two years and his release was not included in last week's truce between Gaza and Israel.
"We are making efforts in the case of Gilad Shalit," Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak told reporters at the start of talks with visiting Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in the Egyptian resort of Sharm Al Shaikh.
Olmert, who is on his first trip to Egypt since the truce came into effect, added: "We will discuss the ongoing activities to bring about the release of captured soldier Gilad Shalit."
Earlier, Israel's Supreme Court rejected an appeal by the Shalit family to block the easing of an Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip until their son was released.
In a unanimous decision released to the media, the three-judge panel said that while it understood the plight of Sergeant Gilad Shalit's family, any court intervention in political matters must be very limited.
Shalit's family had asked the court to prevent the implementation of any agreement until the soldier was freed or a guarantee for his release was given.
Egypt brokered a truce that went into effect on Thursday between Israel and the Gaza Strip's Hamas Islamist rulers.
Olmert acknowledged Egypt's part in brokering the truce.
"Egypt played an important role in creating conditions that made it possible to end the terror from Gaza to Israel," he said. "Egypt and Israel are strategic partners."
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