Hagai Hadas
Photo: Moshe Millner, GPO
Noam Shalit
Photo: Ze'ev Trachtman
Special envoy to Shalit talks meets captive's parents
Hagai Hadas, who was recently appointed to handle captive's case, meets Aviva and Noam Shalit for first time. Senior official says Hadas studying complex issue before cabinet decides on future steps
Noam and Aviva Shalit, the parents of kidnapped Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, met with the government's new envoy in the Shalit case Hagai Hadas at the Prime Minister's Office in Jerusalem Wednesday afternoon.
Following the meeting Noam Shalit said: "We met the man. It was a one-hour meeting, this still doesn't give us hope."
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Only after the meetings the government or the cabinet will decide on how to proceed with the negotiations on Shalit's release.
Hadas had already spoken on phone with Shalit's parents and assured them that he would do his best to unite all the branches involved in the case. "We are highly committed to our troops and I intend to act in this spirit," he said.
The senior official described Hadas as a man who combines "credibility, operational creativity and a strong commitment to the issues under his care, a fact that provides him with the ability to negotiate with Egypt, and other Middle Eastern governments, should this becomes necessary."
Hadas has held a number of senior posts in the Mossad in the past.
His predecessor, Ofer Dekel, recently asked to be relieved of his duty in light of his disagreements with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Ahiya Raved contributed to the report
