Report: Egypt sends sign of life from Gilad Shalit
Newspaper al-Sharq al-Awsat reports Egyptian authorities send signs that Shalit is alive to Israel. Also, they report, Egypt warns kidnappers not to put Shalit's life in danger. Competitor newspaper al-Hayat reports Shalit has been transferred to Egyptian territory, but Egyptian officials deny this. Al-Hayat rescinds
According to the report, the Egyptian sources who relayed the information refused to disclose details regarding the eyewitness accounts, but did say that Egyptian authorities urged Shalit’s kidnappers not to harm the soldier.
The report said Egypt asked the kidnappers to expedite Shalit’s release and not take an extreme position concerning possible prisoner exchange deals under Egyptian mediation.
According to the sources, there are elements outside the Palestinian territories who ‘are trying to intervene and complicate matters.’ They said a senior Israeli official is scheduled to visit Cairo in the coming days in the framework of the ongoing efforts to end the crisis.
According to them, "Israel is using the bureaucracy of giving an affirmative answer to the Egyptian proposal because Prime Minister Olmert is concerned about his popularity in Israel and doesn't want to come across as someone who made large concessions for the kidnapped."
From the report it emerges that the Egyptians examined with a fine-toothed comb Tuesday a report in competitor newspaper, al-Hayat, according to which Shalit is in Egyptian territory in preparation for a prisoner swap deal between Israel and his kidnappers. According to Egyptian officials, this is a baseless report. "Shalit is still alive, but is in a secret location in the Palestinian Authority," they said.
However, Wednesday, Editor of Palestinian affairs at al-Hayat, Maher Othman, admitted in an interview with All Peace radio that the publication Tuesday that Gilad Shalit is in Egypt was erroneous. "The publication about Gilad Shalit being located in Egypt was incorrect. Our source in Gaza was wrong this time. But we learned a lesson for the next time – not to rely on only one source," said Othman.
In the meantime, Western diplomatic sources reported that Israel has stepped its security forces along the border crossings between Egypt and the Palestinian Authority in the last five weeks in an effort to prevent the smuggling of Shalit from the location his currently being held.
