At 6:00am local time, the Egyptian-brokered truce between Israel and Hamas got underway. The deal is intended to bring a halt to rocket attacks from Gaza in return for a halt of IDF operations in Hamas-controlled Gaza.

If the fragile ceasefire holds, next week, Israel is required to open border crossings to end the blockade of supplies to Gaza. A number of hours before the ceasefire began; senior Defense Ministry official Amos Gilad declared that the Rafiach border crossing to Egypt will not be opened until Gilad Shalit is released by Hamas.

Hamas officials released numerous statements this week that Shalit will not be released until such time Israel set hundreds of terrorists free as per Hamas’ demands.

Gilad stated that there was no other alternative and the truce is a step towards the release of Shalit, telling Ynet that he feels the truce “will promote Shalit’s release”.

In the meantime, Noam Shalit, the captive soldier’s father, has announced he is contemplating taking his case to the Supreme Court, accusing the government of “abandoning his son” by agreeing to the hiatus in fighting without including the release of Gilad as an integral part of the agreement. Government officials responding to Mr. Shalit’s remarks stated they will not engage in a confrontation with the soldier’s father in the public spotlight.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)