Noam Shalit says happy for Johnston's family
Father of kidnapped soldier congratulates family of BBC reporter freed in Gaza, says negotiations for his son's release are 'stuck'
Noam Shalit also addressed the remarks made by dismissed Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh, who expressed his hope that the journalist's release would bring an end to the Shalit affair as well.
"No negotiations are being held at the moment. Everything is stuck. Despite what was said in the Sharm el-Sheik summit, there are no talks today on Gilad's issue."
Meanwhile, efforts are being exerted to resume the negotiations for Shalit's release. Muhammad Bassiouni, chairman of the Egyptian parliament's National Security Committee and Cairo's former ambassador to Israel, said Saturday that Egypt would soon resume its mediation for the release of the kidnapped soldier.
Several days earlier, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak said in a special interview with Yedioth Ahronoth that the Egyptian mediation delegation operating for Shalit's release and for a prisoner exchange deal will resume its work after things calmed down in Gaza.
According to Mubarak, "Marwan Barghouti's release will benefit everyone, not just the Palestinians."
"We reached an agreement in principle for the release of 400 to 500 prisoners, and when an argument broke out on who should take the first step, Israel or the Palestinian side, we suggested that Shalit would first be transferred to Egypt," Mubarak said.
"We said that after the lists reach Jerusalem and Israel approves the released prisoners, we will bring Shalit home. But the Palestinians were worried that Israel would not keep its promise, things became complicated, Mashaal delayed the implementation, and then the clashes broke out in Gaza."
