The father of abducted Israel Defense Forces soldier Gilad Shalit said that French President Nicolas Sarkozy had assured him during their talks in Paris on Tuesday that his son is still alive.
The French president met with Noam Shalit to update him on the latest developments in the diplomatic efforts to secure the release of Gilad, who was captured by Gaza militants in a 2006 cross-border raid.
In a statement released on Monday, Sarkozy's office said France was working to bring about Shalit's release, citing the letter written by Shalit's parents and passed along to Syria and Qatar. Last September, Sarkozy requested that Syrian President Bashar Assad use his contacts with Hamas to forward the letter to Gilad Shalit.
A French lawmaker sent by Sarkozy on a Middle East fact finding mission said earlier Tuesday that France has asked Syria to encourage Hamas to release Shalit.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1059152.html
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