Photo: Noam Shalit
Photo: AP
Noam Shalit: Hamas violating Islam
Father of IDF captive slams Hamas in Ramadan dinner with Arab pro-Shalit activists
Hamas has been violating Islam, Gilad Shalit's father said Saturday at a Ramadan dinner organized by non-Jewish activists on behalf of the abducted soldier.
"Hamas has not been adhering to the edicts of Islam," Noam Shalit said during the event, held in the Arab town of Sakhnin, referring to his son's ongoing captivity, reportedly under harsh conditions.
The dinner was held at the home of Rafik Haleileh, a pro-Shalit activist, who urged Hamas to release the Israeli soldier by Rosh HaShana, to be marked by Jews next weekend.
Meanwhile, efforts to secure Shalit's release continue according to media reports. Israel and Egypt are on the brink of an agreement on issues relating to negotiations with the Palestinians as well as a Shalit prisoner exchange deal, the London-Based al-Sharq al-Awsat reported Saturday.
However, Hamas was quick to dismiss reports about an imminent deal.
"The deal will only be completed when our demands are met," a Hamas source told Ynet, characterizing media reports about a Shalit deal within days as a "joke."
"I understand the competition among media outlets, but we're not responsible for these reports," he said.
