Meeting on Sunday with Defense Minister Ehud Barak and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert signaled he is formulating a new plan intended to result in the release of Gilad Shalit. He is hoping to present the plan to the cabinet this week, working to actualize the soldier’s release before stepping down from office, a move that will most likely take a number of weeks, requiring the formation of a coalition government. Also attending the meeting were Amos Gilad and Shalom Turjeman, a senior aide to Olmert.
It remains unclear if the cabinet at Sunday’s weekly meeting discussed the names of terrorists whose release is demanded by Hamas but it appears the ministers are in agreement, the Shalit release will precede a ceasefire agreement and the opening of Gaza crossings.
Briefing the cabinet ministers of events in Gaza was ISA (Israel Security Agency – Shin Bet) Director Yuval Diskin, who stated weapons smuggling continues as Hamas remains determined to rearm and prepare for the next military confrontation with Israel. He added Hamas has stepped up its dealing with opposition parties, reporting Hamas gunmen fire at opponents’ legs and prevent medical personnel from treating them. Diskin added that opponents of Hamas are also wounded and thrown out of windows as the Hamas regimes continues its reign of terror in Gaza.
(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)
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