Israel relaxes demands in Shalit talks with Hamas, report says

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Israel has agreed to relax its demands in talks with Hamas geared at securing the release of abducted Israel Defense Forces soldier Gilad Shalit, the London-based Al-Hayat newspaper said on Friday.

A basic bone of contention between Israel and Hamas in the ongoing Egypt-mediated negotiations has been Israel's' refusal to release a reported 120 Palestinian prisoners directly involved in attacks on Israelis.

Israel has also been reportedly adamant about its demand to expel at a certain number of Palestinian inmates from the West Bank, a stance which Hamas has long rejected.

However, according to Al-Hayat's Friday report, Israel had agreed to a drastic cut the number of Palestinian prisoners whose release was refused from 120 prisoners to 40.

http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/israel-relaxes-demands-in-shalit-talks-with-hamas-report-says-1.383450

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1. Noam Shalit thanks U.S. Muslim leaders for their efforts to release son Gilad

Noam Shalit thanked American Muslim leaders in a New York meeting on Thursday for sending a letter to Hamas requesting the release of his son, Gilad, an Israel Defense Forces soldier who has been in captivity for five years.

Rabbi Marc Schneier hosted the meeting between Shalit and Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, one of the 11 signatories of the letter sent to Hamas by prominent American Muslim leaders including Congressmen Keith Ellison and Andre Carson. The letter called for the immediate release of Gilad.

Shalit thanked the leaders for their solidarity and efforts to secure the release of Gilad, who is in his 1,902nd day of captivity.

The American Muslim leaders have yet to receive a response from Hamas, but both Rauf, Chairman of the Cordoba Initiative, and Congressman Carson, who spoke by telephone with Mr. Shalit during the meeting, said that they were committed to the Shalit family’s cause, adding that they will continue to demand a response from Hamas.

http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/noam-shalit-thanks-u-s-muslim-leaders-for-their-efforts-to-release-son-gilad-1.383555