Israeli officials on Tuesday took a step forward on behalf of captive IDF soldier Gilad Shalit, preventing 15 French diplomatic officials accompanied by Jerusalem consular officials from entering Gaza, where they hoped to take part in Bastille Day festivities.

A source stated that Israel cannot permit them to celebrate a day of freedom while Gilad Shalit, who also has French citizenship, remains hostage to Hamas terrorists, now in his fourth year of captivity.

In a Jaffa Bastille Day celebration held in the French Embassy, Ambassador Jean Mishel Casa was quoted as making a statement on Shalit’s behalf.
While Israel made its point, it did so under the guise of a procedural issue, explaining that the requests to enter Gaza were submitted earlier in the day and such a procedure takes 48 hours.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)