Friedmann: Shalit must be included in ceasefire deal

Justice Minister Daniel Friedmann said Tuesday that the release of kidnapped IDF soldier Gilad Shalit must be a part of any ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas.

"Shalit must be part of any truce and Israel must make sure any agreement assures his release,' said Friedmann during a tour of Sderot.

Israel, he said, "is determined to forge on with the operation for as long as it takes and until all the operational objectives have been met."

Commenting on recent reports suggesting Israel may face a slew of international lawsuits following Operation Cast Lead, Friedmann stressed that "Israel is upholding international law and has been exercising maximum ethics and humanism in its fighting in the Gaza Strip."

"War, any war – especially one in which Hamas is using civilians as human shields – poses difficulties; but when you compare Israel to other countries fighting terror, you can see just how considerate Israel is of the civilian population."

Meanwhile, Israel has made no clear statement as to whether it would demand Shalit's release as a prerequisite for any future ceasefire.

Hamas political bureau Deputy Chief, Moussa Abu-Marzouk told al-Jazeera Tuesday that the group is willing to accept the Egyptians truce initiative as long as the organization's reservations are taken into account.

As for Shalit, Marzouk was quoted as saying that "(Shalit) may be injured and he may be healthy. This question is of no interest to us anymore."