Egyptian source: Shalit talks to be resumed soon

Cairo official tells al-Hayat newspaper that head of Defense Ministry's Political-Diplomatic Bureau, Egyptian intelligence chief have agreed to resume indirect negotiations aimed at securing kidnapped soldier's release. According to source, no new offer presented by Netanyahu government

Roee Nahmias
Published: 07.10.09, 09:06 / Israel News

The talks aimed at securing kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit's release will be resumed soon, London-based Arabic-language newspaper al-Hayat reported Friday, quoting an Egyptian source.

The source added that talks held in Cairo between Amos Gilad, head of the Defense Ministry's Security-Diplomatic Bureau, and Egyptian Intelligence Minister Omar Suleiman dealt with a prisoner exchange deal.

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"Both sides agreed to resume the indirect negotiations between the Israelis and the Palestinians via Egyptian mediation, with the purpose of freeing Palestinian prisoners in exchange for Gilad Shalit's release," the official said, adding that Egypt had asked Gilad to present the Netanyahu government's stand.

"So far, the Israeli government has not raised any new offer which we can build on or move forwards with," said the Egyptian official, who was defined by the newspaper as a reliable source.

"We don’t want to lose all the efforts invested by the previous government and start from scratch. The agreement to resume the negotiations is positive, but we are waiting for a proposal from the Israelis about their new stand."

The same source added that the talks had never stopped, but that recently the Egyptians have been working on trying to understand the new Israeli government's stand. As for Hamas' stand, the source said, the Palestinian organization still insists on the list of prisoners it demanded in the past.

There is also "nothing new" in terms of a truce between Israel and Hamas, the official said. "There is an agreement in principle in regards to a mutual lull between Israel and Hamas that every Palestinian violation of the lull will be answered with a military escalation on the part of the Israelis.

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