Egyptian Ambassador to Israel Yasser Reda said Egypt has no objection that any other body may mediate between Hamas and Israel in the issue of the Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, who is detained by Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip since June 2006. The Egyptian ambassador said: "Egypt will welcome whoever sees himself able to do this task". He added that Egypt is the only country that is able to reach a breakthrough on the impasse of Shalit's abduction.
Reda added that he has recently met with many Israeli officials and assured them that Egypt hopes that any new Israeli prime minister will continue in the peace process on all negotiating tracks. Reda's remarks came in response to the statements of Mahmoud al-Zahar, a leader of Hamas, in which he said if Egypt did not want to continue mediation in the issue of Shalit, Hamas would look for another mediator. However, he welcomed the Egyptian mediation.
On the other hand, tens of Israeli citizens staged demonstrations before Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's house in Jerusalem yesterday, calling for more efforts to release Shalit.
According to Radio Israel, the demonstrations coincided with the Israeli police investigating Olmert at his home for the eleventh time on charges of corruption.