Middle East News
Army chief: Israel knows who is holding captured soldier and where
Aug 4, 2008, 10:52 GMT
Tel Aviv - Israel knows who is holding captured soldier Gilad Shalit, and where, military chief of staff Gabi Ashkenazi said Monday.
Shalit was captured by Gaza militants during a cross-border raid two years ago. Egyptian-mediated negotiations for his release have not yet borne fruit.
'We know that Gilad Shalit is alive, where he is being held and by whom,' Ashkenazi told army recruits at a military base outside Tel Aviv.
'I hope that we will be able to put an end to this affair, ' he added.
The military spokesman office in Tel Aviv quickly put out a clarification, saying that Lieutenant-General Ashkenazi had simply meant that Shalit was being held by Hamas, which is common knowledge.
Hamas is demanding that Israel free 1,000 Palestinians from Israeli jails in return for Shalit.
The Hamas demand includes 450 specific names, but Israel has approved freeing only 70 of them.

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Older Talkback
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Israel should take 10,000 hostages and then offer them for trade.
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SP4: How about one for one????Aug 4th, 2008 - 15:33:35
Honestly, it's hard to believe we're talking about the Israeli's here!
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