Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak said that Israel should use the relatively calm brought by the ceasefire deal to negotiate with the Islamic Hamas movement the release of abducted Israel Defense Forces corporal Gilad Shalit, The Jerusalem Post said on its website Wednesday.
"I don't know how much longer the lull in the Gaza Strip will last but it has already been six weeks of quiet," Barak was quoted as saying. "We need to take advantage of each day of quiet left to advance the Shalit matter."
Barak said during a Labor Party conference in Dimona Tuesday that Israel will have to make "difficult decisions" and will pay a"difficult price" to secure the release of Shalit.
Barak added that it was Israel's moral duty to "carry out every appropriate maneuver possible so that Gilad returns home safe and sound."
Shalit was kidnapped by Hamas in June 2006 during a Hamas raid on an IDF outpost on the border with Gaza.
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