Addressing 22 foreign ministers in a Brussels forum, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni on Wednesday told her colleagues that the existing crisis in Gaza cannot be resolved without addressing the continued captivity of IDF soldier Gilad Shalit.

Livni sat with ministers of 22 nations, telling them that while their participation in any agreement is mandatory to ensure the situation in Gaza does not return to the previous state, the mass importation of weapons and ammunition, the issue of Gilad Shalit must also be included since without Hamas releasing him from captivity, the “Gaza crisis” cannot be resolved.

In the meantime, the Shalit issue has returned to the media spotlight, occupying a major portion of Israel Radio’s morning news broadcast as the nation questions how Israel can move ahead on the ceasefire front with demanding the soldier’s release.

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert released a statement that at the end, all will become clear and everyone will know what is being done and what was done, regarding Gilad Shalit but now, the less said in the media the better.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)