TEL AVIV, February 24 (RIA Novosti) - Israeli Prime
Minister Ehud Olmert has sacked Amos Gilad, who has headed the
ceasefire talks in Gaza with the militant group Hamas since the
summer, local media said on Tuesday.
Gilad, who is also the head of military policy and
security at Israel's Defense Ministry, was sacked after he
publicly criticized the prime minister for trying to include
the release of a captured Israeli soldier as a pre-condition
for a ceasefire deal in the Gaza Strip.
Olmert has replaced Gilad with long-time adviser, Shalom
Turgeman, and the head of the internal security agency, Yuval
Diskin.
Hamas is demanding the release of some 1,000 Gazans from
Israeli prisons in return for the release of Corporal Gilad
Shalit, who was abducted two years ago by Hamas.
Gilad will continue to head the Israeli Defense Ministry's
Security-Diplomatic Bureau.
The Palestinians have been pushing to have a blockade
imposed by Israel on the Gaza Strip lifted in exchange for a
ceasefire. Last week, after Egypt announced a deal had been
agreed between the sides, Israel's prime minister declared that
the release of Shalit was a pre-condition in the truce
negotiations.
More than 1,300 Palestinians were killed during Israel's
three-week military operation in Gaza in December and January,
which was launched by Tel Aviv to try and stop militants
smuggling arms and firing rockets at southern Israeli towns
from the Gaza Strip.
News
