Israeli soldier's hunger strike 'sped up release'

[oberliner]

JERUSALEM — Palestinian Islamist group Hamas was forced to speed up the release of captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit after he went on hunger strike, Israeli newspaper Yediot Aharonot reported on Sunday.

Citing unnamed Israeli security sources, the top-selling daily said Shalit, who was held in Gaza for more than five years, suffered significant weight loss after he began to refuse most food during the final part of his captivity.

His dramatic weight loss and the isolation in which he was held raised fears among his captors that he might die before they could agree a deal to secure the release of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for freeing Shalit.

"It was one of the things that pushed Hamas to finalise an agreement," the newspaper said.

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