Hamas politburo chief Khaled Mashaal
Photo: AP
Gilad Shalit
Reproduction photo
Syrian President Bashar Assad
Photo: Reuters
Report: Mashaal receives letter for Shalit, promises to deliver it
Qatari newspaper says Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani handed Hamas leader in exile letter from Noam Shalit to his captive son. French source: Assad happy to help, but does not want to be conceived as official go-between
Qatari Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani delivered to Hamas politburo Chief Khaled Mashaal a letter addressed to captive IDF soldier Gilad Shalit, a Qatari newspaper reported Friday.
According to the report, Mashaal has promised to deliver the letter to Shalit's captors in Gaza with the hope that they will pass it on to the soldier. An official source within French President's Nicolas Sarkozy entourage said Thursday that during his visit to Damascus the French president had given his Syrian counterpart Bashar Assad a letter to Shalit from his father, Noam.
Another French source has stated that Assad had requested not to be directly involved in the delivering of the letter. "President Assad is happy to help, but does not want to be conceived as an official go-between in this matter," said the source.
Noam Shalit refused to confirm or deny the delivery of the letter to his son with the help of the French president. "I can say that a connection does exist between me and certain French elements. I don't wish to elaborate further, but if the French choose to do so, it's their choice," said Noam.
Since Gilad Shalit, who holds dual French-Israeli citizenship, was captured on June 25, 2006 by gunmen from Hamas and two allied groups who tunneled into Israel from the Gaza Strip, France has been trying to assist in different ways, in an attempt to secure his release. Sarkozy has expressed the need to return Gilad home to his family as soon as possible.
