UPDATED ON:
Thursday, June 19, 2008
17:23 Mecca time, 14:23 GMT
 
News Middle East
Shalit's father angry over truce
Noam Shalit has threatened to take legal action to stop the implementation of the truce [EPA]

The father of abducted Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit has threatened to take legal action against the Israeli government for agreeing to a truce in the Gaza Strip, saying the deal did not guarantee the return of his son.

Noam Shalit, who has written to top officials expressing his disappointment that a truce is going ahead before his son's release, said the Israeli government's handling of his son was a failure.

Gilad Shalit was seized by Palestinian fighters in a cross-border raid in June 2006.

 

In an interview with Israeli newspaper Haaretz, Shalit accused Olmert of violating his commitments and of being insensitive towards captured soldiers.

 

Economic siege

 

"Olmert told us he does not have a contract that requires him to free any citizen from captivity," said Shalit, referring to one of his meetings with the prime minister.

 

Gilad Shalit, right, was captured by Hamas
fighters two years ago [EPA]
"That is not acceptable to me, and I don't think it is acceptable to anyone in this country."

 

Shalit also urged the Israeli government to maintain the economic siege on the Gaza Strip until his son's fate was resolved.

 

Ehud Olmert, the Israeli prime minister, said on Wednesday the captured soldier's release was an inseparable part of the ceasefire.

 

But Hamas leaders say the soldier's release depended on Israel freeing hundreds of Palestinians prisoners.

 Source: Agencies
 
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