Barak: reports on release of Israeli soldier 'damaging' - Summary

Jerusalem - Reports of a breakthrough in negotiations to free an Israeli soldier held captive in the Gaza Strip for the past three years are "damaging," Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak said Sunday. "The reports on the release of (Gilad) Shalit are incorrect and even damaging," Barak said at the weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem, according to Israeli media reports. "The less we talk and the more we focus on action, the better," he added. According to reports in the international media over the past few days, Shalit is to be transferred to Egypt shortly, as part of a prisoner swap deal with Hamas, which is holding him somewhere in the Gaza Strip. Israeli officials have denied the reports, and Hamas officials have said the sides are still far apart in their negotiations. On Sunday, Israel's Ha'aretz daily quoted "senior... [read full story]                    

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