Sarkozy Proposes Using Syria and Qatar to Promote Shalit Deal

President Sarkozy's connections in Syria and Qatar offer a new approach to Israel's efforts to release Gilad Shalit. 

Or Shabi and Yonatan Gonen from Nana10.co.il:

The Palestinian Maan news agency reports this morning that in the course of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's meeting with French President Nicolas Sarkozy last week, Sarkozy proposed using his connections in Syria and Qatar to accelerate the release of kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit.

It reported that Sarkozy said that France could ask the leadership of both these countries that they demand guarantees from Hamas for the well-being of Gilad Shalit or ask it to let the Red Cross visit him.

The news agency reported that Sarkozy told Netanyahu that in the course of Olmert's term as prime minister, he helped promote the subject by means of his ties to Syrian President Bashar Assad and to Qatari Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani. It reported that both Arab leaders are in regular phone contact with Hamas Political Bureau Director Khaled Mashal in Damascus.

The report also said that Sarkozy told Netanyahu that Gilad Shalit's release was the "key to changing the situation in the Middle East." That said, Sarkozy stressed that Israel must also compromise and release prisoners, "otherwise, no agreement will be reached."

Sarkozy also stressed the importance of the release of Palestinian prisoners by Israel if it expects a deal for Gilad Shalit to be upheld.  Avi Issacharoff and Barak Ravid from Haaretz.com:

Sarkozy also told Netanyahu that the release of Shalit, who has been held in Gaza for three years now, is "key to a change in the situation in the area." But Sarkozy also stressed that "you will have to release prisoners, otherwise there will be no deal."

Meanwhile, at the cabinet meeting Sunday, Defense Minister Ehud Barak refuted reports of a breakthrough in the negotiations to bring Shalit home.

Hamas also issued an official statement denying any progress on Shalit. The Hamas official assigned to the Shalit case, Osama al-Muzaini, said there had been no progress on the matter since Netanyahu assumed office.

Muzaini said no new Israeli offer on Shalit had been received, though the soldier was alive and had received the letter sent to him by his family through former U.S. president Jimmy Carter.

Regarding the negotiations, Muzaini said the latest Israeli offer had been for the release of 325 prisoners out of a list of 450 demanded by Hamas. However, he said Israel demanded that 125 of the 325 prisoners would be exiled from the West Bank.

Muzaini said that many of the prisoners had been imprisoned for life, and that Israel had offered to release 550 others who had been jailed for five to seven years. Their terms would be completed soon.