World Jewish News

Abducted Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit (Haaretz).

Hamas strongman denies French doctors visited Shalit in Gaza

Mahmoud Zahar, the Gaza-based Hamas strongman, issued a swift denial on Sunday of a report that four French doctors had visited abducted Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit last week at the secret location in which he is being held in the Strip.

Zahar told Haaretz by phone that there was absolutely no truth in the report, which was carried by both the London-based daily Al-Hayyat and the BBC's Arabic service.

According to the report, the doctors reportedly accompanied the German mediator involved in Israel-Hamas negotiations for the release of Shalit, who was kidnapped in a cross-border raid by Gaza militants more than three years ago.

The physicians, who each specialize in different areas of medicine, traveled to the Strip from Cairo, and entered the Hamas-ruled territory via the Gaza-Egypt border crossing at Rafah, Al-Hayyat reported. According to the paper the doctors gave Shalit a full medical checkup.

Israel Air Force drones flew above Gaza while the doctors were visiting Shalit, the paper said. The German mediator had reportedly pledged to Hamas that Israel would not strike the abducted soldier's hiding place or try to rescue him, despite the fact that the Israel Defense Forces was monitoring the doctors' visit.

The paper further reported that Shalit is being held at a location that is booby-trapped and from which he has no chance of being rescued alive. According to Al-Hayyat, the checkup was another confidence-building measure in order to advance the developing deal to secure the soldier's freedom.

Meanwhile, Hamas is continuing to hold out on its final answer to the proposal from Israel on the deal, which was delivered by the German mediator. According to Arab media reports, the impression is that the Islamist militant group is trying to evade offering a response for as long as possible.

By Avi Issacharoff and Jack Khoury, Haaretz Correspondents

Haaretz