RAMALLAH, June 20 (JMCC) - Egyptian officials have warned that Israeli negotiating positions threatening Hamas over its ongoing capture of soldier Gilad Shalit could result in Shalit's disappearance,
reports Haaretz.
After a long period on the sidelines of the talks, Egypt has become more involved since the ouster of former president Hosni Mubarak.
Egyptian security officials involved in the talks told Haaretz over the weekend that the approach by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's new envoy to the talks, David Meidan, could scuttle the negotiations and lead to Shalit's disappearance.
The Egyptians said Meidan told Egyptian intelligence officials in Cairo last week that if Hamas did not agree to the latest deal proposed by Israel, there would be no deal at all.
The Egyptians said the Hamas negotiators, headed by the group's military chief, Ahmed Jabari, had responded to the Israeli approach with a clear threat that the talks would end and a deal for Shalit would be off the table.
This Saturday will mark Shalit's fifth year in captivity in the Gaza Strip.