IDF Chief of Staff Lieutenant-General Benny Gantz saidMonday that Israel's efforts to retrieve kidnapped IDF soldier Gilad Shalit remainunwavering.
Gantz spoke at a Passover Seder for Golani soldiers, held near the Gaza border. Colonel Ofer Levy, head of the IDF's Northern Division also attended the Seder.
"I can attest to the great effort in this complex case," he said, adding he had every hope that the intense work would soon come to fruition.
Dozes of supporters visited the Shalit family protest tent, located just across from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Jerusalem home.
The family did not celebrate Passover. The Shalit campaign released a statement saying that, "Starting at 6:30 pm, Noam and Aviva Shalit set across the gate leading to the prime minister's home, to remind him that nothing has change for Gilad tonight, just as it has not changes in any of his other 1,758 night in Hamas captivity."
Earlier Monday, President Shimon Peres visited the Shalit family tent. The president visited with the family for nearly an hour, after which he told reporters, "I feel I am on the side of the family, not against them but for them. People say I'm an optimist – well, I'm optimistic now too. I am convinced with all my being that we will see Gilad alive and well at home."
Omri Efraim contributed to this report