Following Sunday’s visit to Cairo for a meeting with President Hosni Mubarak by Defense Minister Ehud Barak, Israel is announcing that special emissary Chaggai Hadas is working to assemble a negotiating team to address efforts to obtain the release of Gilad Shalit. Shalit on Sunday, 29 Tammuz, marked three years in Hamas captivity.

Egypt and Hamas believe talks should resume from the point they broke off with the previous administration of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. Olmert’s refusal to agree to release all the terrorists on Hamas’ list led to a breakdown in the efforts, with Hamas announcing “it will wait 20 years if need be”, but there will be no leniency and Israel will be compelled to release all the terrorists for Shalit’s release.

Upon his return from Cairo, Barak on Sunday explained he prefers to refrain from commenting to the media, explaining the issue of Shalit’s release will be best served outside of the media spotlight.

During Sunday’s erev Rosh Chodesh Tammuz tefilla gathering at the Kosel, Rishon L’Tzion HaRav Mordechai Eliyahu Shlita recited a tefilla for Shalit’s release.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)