The family of captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit has received a letter from him, two years after he was kidnapped by Palestinian militants, reports say.

The letter was in Cpl Shalit's handwriting and was apparently recent, his father, Noam Shalit, was reported to have said.

Noam Shalit did not divulge the full contents, Israeli media report.

But he said the letter included a plea to Israeli leaders Egypt discusses Hamas with Israel ...
Ex-President Carter meeting Hamas leader ... to save Gilad's life through a prisoner swap with Hamas.

The soldier was kidnapped from his post by Gaza militants in a cross-border raid in June 2006.

Prisoner swap?

In April, the Damascus-based leader of militant group Hamas, Khaled Meshaal, told former US President Jimmy Carter that the soldier would be allowed to write to his family as a humanitarian gesture.

Monday's letter was reportedly passed onto the Shalit family by the Carter Center's office in the West Bank city of Ramallah.

Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, has demanded the release of 450 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the return of Cpl Shalit.

Negotiations between Israel and Hamas are currently being mediated by Egypt.

Israel has said any ceasefire deal with Hamas must include the release of the soldier.

Mr Meshaal said in March that Cpl Shalit was still alive and was being well treated.

The Shalits had previously received two letters and a taped message from Gilad.

(BBC)

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