French president: Gilad Shalit – a kidnapped Frenchman

Members of kidnapped soldiers Ehud Goldwasser, Eldad Regev and Gilad Shalit's families met with French President Nicolas Sarkozy Monday in Paris, as part of their international efforts to free their sons.

The meeting was a pleasant one, they said, leaving them reassured that France would aid their cause.

Sarkozy told Noam Shalit, Gilad Shalit's father, that he considers Gilad – who has French citizenship – a kidnapped Frenchman and that he is obligated to "care for him as one of our own."

The French president told Shalit's family that he raises their son's case whenever he meets Arab officials and went on to stress that he intends to do what he can for all three kidnapped soldiers.

Karnit Goldwasser, Ehud Goldwasser's wife, who attended the meeting, spoke of the upcoming Lebanese factions conference, scheduled to take place in France at the end of month:

Members of kidnapped soldiers' families in France (Photo: Reuters)

"Nasralla (Hizbullah secretary-seneral) once said that everything has a price... the French government must make them bring us proof of life and make them name their price."

Hizbullah, explained Sarkozy, is a terror organization, but its presence at the conference is necessary as a parliamentary entity.

This is an opportunity to show support for the Lebanese government, he said, adding "we have to be able to talk with them."

Benny Regev, Eldad Regev's brother, said the meeting went well, adding "Sarkozy was very sympathetic to our cause… he promised to work for their release."

The meeting at the Élysée Palace marked the end of a series of meetings the families held with various European officials in an attempt to hasten their sons' return.

'Italy was close to releasing captives'

Meanwhile Monday, Italian newspaper La Stampa reported that former SISMI (Italian Military Intelligence and Security Service) head Nicola Pollari said that the organization he headed was close to releasing kidnapped soldiers Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev, held by Hizbullah in Lebanon.

At a joint press conference with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi, who is in Israel, refuted the reports in La Stampa that he had information about the soldiers. "We have done, and will continue to do everything possible to obtain information and to convey messages, but we don't have such information now," he said.

According to the paper, Pollari made the remarks to the chairman of the Italian Senate's defense committee, Sergio de Gregorio.

De Gregorio said "it (the release of the kidnapped soldiers) was almost a done deal, but it was not followed through because the Italian government did not take the necessary actions." It is unclear what actions he was referring to, and he provided no details about the condition of the soldiers.

Nir Magal and Ronny Sofer contributed to the report