Minister of Welfare Yitzchak Herzog (Labor) said Sunday morning that a full-fledged counterterrorist offensive in Gaza will not bring about the release of kidnapped IDF soldier Gilad Shalit. Herzog explained that a truce accord with Hamas can open the way for freeing the soldier, and that Hamas needs to come to terms with Israel because of what he called Israel's successful policies.
Israel and Hamas have been negotiating through Egyptian mediators on a cooling-off period of terrorist attacks and IDF retaliation, but speculation has risen that the government is reneging on its previous vow to include Shalit's release as part of an agreement with Hamas.