Egypt: Gaza crossing will remain shut until Shalit deal reached - Haaretz

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Sun., November 23, 2008 Cheshvan 25, 5769

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		Noam Shalit, the father of abducted IDF soldier Gilad Shalit. (Moran Maayan / Jini)

Last update - 00:00 24/06/2008

Egypt: Gaza crossing will remain shut until Shalit deal reached

By Tomer Zarchin and The Associated Press

Tags: Gilad Shalit, Hamas, Israel

Egypt assured Israel on Tuesday that the Rafah border crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt will remain closed until a deal is reached that secures the release of Israel Defense Forces soldier Gilad Shalit, an Israeli official said.

"We received assurances that Rafah crossing will not open until [Gilad] Shalit's case is solved," said a senior official who took part in the meetings in Sharm el-Sheikh between Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.

The leaders also discussed arms smuggling into Hamas-run Gaza during the meeting, held on the sixth day of an Egyptian-mediated truce between Israel and Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip, where gunmen affiliated with Hamas have been holding Shalit for two years.

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Olmert was expected to seek assurances from Mubarak that Egypt will do more to fight smuggling into Gaza. The London-based newspaper Al-Sharq Al-Awsat quoted Olmert as saying that if the smuggling of weapons into Gaza does not cease, Israel will consider the cease-fire agreement violated, and will be forced to respond militarily.

Opening the meeting, Mubarak said that Egypt was working to secure Shalit's release, and Olmert thanked him for Cairo's role in the Gaza cease-fire agreement.

"You filled an important role in creating conditions that stopped the terror from Gaza against Israeli residents. Egypt and Israel are strategic partners."

In exchange for Shalit, Hamas wants Israel to release 450 prisoners it is holding. Al-Sharq Al-Awsat reported on Saturday that Shalit's release was being delayed by a dispute between Israel and Hamas over the fate of 30 Hamas prisoners.

In a television interview following the meeting, Mubarak said it would be unrealistic to condition the truce agreement on the soldier's release, as some critics of the agreement demanded.

He said it was more important to stop the killing on both sides. "We must remain optimistic," Mubarak responded when asked if he thought the truce would hold, but warning, "both sides can make trouble if they want."

High Court rejects Shalit family bid to keep Gaza crossings shut

The High Court of Justice on Monday rejected the petition of Noam and Aviva Shalit against Olmert, the political security cabinet, Defense Minister Ehud Barak and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni.

At the same time, the justices noted they felt the cabinet needs to give the Shalits more information on attempt to secure Gilad's release. The Shalit family had asked the court to order the government not to implement the cease-fire agreement with Hamas in Gaza before their son's release. According to the Shalits, cabinet members were misled into thinking the agreement on Gaza linked Gilad's release to the opening of the Gaza border crossings.

The court ruled that the cabinet's decision was a policy matter, and it could not intervene. Nevertheless, a confidential part of the opinion was given only to the State Attorney's Office.

Gilad's parents said that keeping the crossings closed was Israel's only means of pressuring Hamas to release their son, and that Israel should have held on to the option of opening the crossings as its only effective bargaining chip vis-a-vis Hamas in talks for Shalit's release.

The court on Sunday instructed the cabinet to brief Shalit's parents and tell them how the talks have progressed so far, and why the government believes it should open the crossings without first securing Shalit's release.

On Sunday night, Amos Gilad, who is handling talks for Shalit's release as head of the Defense Ministry's political department, met with the Shalits to tell them Israel would not cede any leverage on Hamas by opening the crossings, and that the move would "improve the atmosphere" between the two sides. It would thus benefit efforts to bring home the corporal.

In his review of the post-cease-fire situation at the weekly cabinet meeting, Yuval Diskin, head of the Shin Bet security service, said the price Hamas is demanding for Shalit is not expected to drop following Israel's cease-fire agreement with the organization. "Those who think we can bring about Shalit's release by opening or closing the crossings are harboring illusions," he said.

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1.	He should never have gone to the High Court.	09:08	\|	S	24/06/08

2.	S - Israel is a "tribal democracy" not a "western democracy"	13:50	\|	Natallie Durson	24/06/08

3.	photo ops over.... but what of Shalit???????	13:52	\|	Avi	24/06/08

4.	to Durson	14:45	\|	Harry	24/06/08

5.	HARRY #4	15:01	\|	noor	24/06/08

6.	Gnatallie: Comes From the Tribe of Shiite	15:05	\|	Tex	24/06/08

7.	Harry, all democracies have constitutions, unlike so-called demo.	15:06	\|	noor	24/06/08

8.	someone should explain the term leverage to gilad !	15:12	\|	victor hardman	24/06/08

9.	to Natalie, #2	15:32	\|	Igor D.	24/06/08

10.	Crossings are open for necessary basic supplies	15:33	\|	Margie in Tel Aviv	24/06/08

11.	if you believe that,i have a bridge for sale	15:56	\|	chaim	24/06/08

12.	THAT "REMAINS" TO BE SEEN!MERT STAGGERS LIKE A DRUNK;HE SWAYS...	15:59	\|	glenna	24/06/08

13.	Good, Keep it shut untill exchange.	16:24	\|	Al	24/06/08

14.	Israel in control of the Egypt-Gaza border crossing.	16:33	\|	Jean Van Daem	24/06/08

15.	The government has a right to lie to its own people.	16:58	\|	Shmuel	24/06/08

16.	Natallie - No one will contest that Israel was created for Jews.	17:07	\|	S	24/06/08

17.	Good. This says only one thing, Israel`s word is strong. And it	17:17	\|	has meaning!!!	24/06/08

18.	And does anyone believe the crossing will remain closed?	17:31	\|	Shmuel	24/06/08

19.	Noor, please inform yourself properly	17:39	\|	utagawa	24/06/08

20.	well done and many thanks, egypt.	17:49	\|	frenz	24/06/08

21.	I shall believe the Egyptians - and Olmert - only once I see	18:19	\|	Former Egyptian Jew	24/06/08

22.	Well done Egypt!!! Indeed."May YHWH Bless you and keep you; YHWH	18:31	\|	cause His face to	24/06/08

23.	# 18, I believe it will, for the good of all, until issues are	18:35	\|	resolved and	24/06/08

24.	Next headline to read: Hamas has returned Gilad and he will be	18:54	\|	returning from Egypt	24/06/08

25.	NO NO NO NO NO NO NO	18:56	\|	Mark	24/06/08

26.	"Morning has broken, like the first morning" Cat Stephens	18:59	\|	Every day is new	24/06/08

27.	#2 - I`ll call you on that Natallie...	20:46	\|	JES	24/06/08

28.	Natallie Durson #2	23:16	\|	Free Gilad Shalit	24/06/08

29.	What a shocking Israeli double standard...	01:52	\|	Dutch	25/06/08

30.	#15 Shmuel--well, I bet you just love Bush & Cheney	02:03	\|	ballistic	25/06/08

31.	#29 Doris/Dutch Denounces Deceptively	09:40	\|	DesMnsDave	25/06/08

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