GAZA: A letter written by abducted Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit was given to his family by Gaza militants in a potential breakthrough after nearly three months in captivity, a source involved in the talks said on Friday.
The letter written in Shalit's handwriting is the first tangible sign of life since militants from the governing Hamas group and two other factions seized him in a cross-border raid on June 25, prompting an Israeli offensive. "The abducted soldier wrote the letter by his own handwriting to his parents telling them he is fine and well," the source told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The source said the letter was handed to Egyptian mediators in Gaza, who then handed it over to Shalit's family. The letter appears to have been written earlier this week, the source said. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's spokeswoman, Miri Eisin, declined to comment. The letter could be a sign of progress in efforts to free Shalit. |