Contradicting Reports On Whereabouts of IDF Soldier
Ryan R. Jones - All Headline News Middle East Correspondent Jerusalem, Israel (AHN) - An Egyptian newspaper Tuesday reported that abducted Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit has been transferred from the Gaza Strip to Cairo, where he is being held as a "deposit" until Israel frees hundreds of jailed terrorists. According to London-based Al-Hayat, Shalit has already been in Egypt for some days, as his Palestinian captors and Egyptian mediators hammer out the final details of a proposed prisoner swap. With Shalit in their hands, the report went on to say Egypt has involved Saudi Arabia and Qatar in the matter in order to exert more pressure on Israel via Washington to accept an exchange. Offering a slightly different version of events, PLO Chairman Mahmoud Abbas said in remarks published Tuesday by the Bahraini newspaper Akhbar Al Halij that Shalit would soon be moved to Cairo as part of the first phase of a three-phase prisoner exchange. Under that purported deal, Israel is expected to free 800 Palestinian prisoners. Meanwhile, Shalit's father, Noam, told Ynet that according to "officials we are in contact with," the reports of an impending prisoner exchange and his sons transfer to Egypt are false. Confident that their action will result in political gain, the Palestinians who abducted Shalit are said to be training to snatch even more Israeli soldiers and civilians. Speaking to WorldNetDaily, the leader of one of the |
