Egypt to Hamas: Free IDF soldier, join unity gov't

[Phx_Dem]

Egypt has demanded that Hamas immediately release an Israel Defense Forces soldier captured by Palestinian militants tied to the group to avoid a worsening crisis in the violence-battered Gaza Strip, Palestinian officials and Arab diplomats said late Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Vice Premier Shimon Peres on Wednesday accused the exiled Hamas leadership, now based in Syria, of blocking a deal for the release of Corporal Gilad Shalit.

The Hamas power base in Damascus includes political leader Khaled Meshal, who Peres said was preventing a deal for the release of Corporal Gilad Shalit, abducted by Hamas-linked militants who tunneled under the Gaza-Israel border in a June 25 attack on his base.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=767898&contrassID=1&subContrassID=1