Mother's appeal revives interest in Israeli soldiers' fate

The fate of two Israeli soldiers presumed killed during the 2014 Gaza war has resurfaced with an emotional appeal from one of their mothers and a mysterious letter.

The family of Oron Shaul -- pronounced dead by the Israeli army but whose body has never been recovered -- appealed for information on Sunday, after a letter purportedly written by the soldier was sent to the family.

Israeli security forces suspect the letter to be a fake, but Shaul's mother held a press conference calling on Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip, to provide more information.

Shaul was part of a group of seven troops from the elite Golani unit caught up in an attack on an armoured vehicle in Gaza during the summer 2014 war in the Palestinian enclave.

Israel believes a second soldier, Hadar Goldin, was killed in a separate incident though his remains have also not been recovered.

On Monday, Hamas refused to provide further details on the soldiers.

During a march in Gaza City to commemorate the movement's 28th anniversary, senior Hamas leader Mahmoud al-Zahar told the crowd they would not give any more information until it suited them, saying any exchange deal would be "on our terms".

In 2011, over 1,000 Palestinian prisoners were released in exchange for Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, captured by Hamas five years earlier.

Many of those released have subsequently been re-arrested in what Hamas argues is a breach of the agreement.

Hamas has reportedly demanded those prisoners be freed in exchange for more information about Shaul and Goldin. Israel has in the past also exchanged prisoners for the remains of soldiers.

"We will not talk a single word about the exchange of prisoners before the release of prisoners and the fulfilment of the (Gilad Shalit) deal," Zahar said.

Speaking at a press conference on Sunday night, Zehava Shaul made a plea to Hamas for more information, asking the group to confirm whether her son was really alive.

Addressing Hamas leader Ismail Haniya, she pleaded with him.

"I want to believe you. Present me with concrete evidence on the condition of Oron," she was quoted as saying by the Israeli media.

"We will turn over the country, and the world, to ensure that the deal (for his return) will be carried out."

Israeli media claimed Hamas had succeeded in pitting the Israeli security forces -- which reportedly opposed the press conference -- against the family.

Israeli security analyst Yossi Melman, writing in the Maariv newspaper, said the group's gambit had "achieved its goal".

"Irrespective of whether the Shaul family... ‎received a letter from him or not, the very fact that the family held a press conference is an achievement for Hamas’‎s psychological warfare campaign," he wrote.

The 50-day war in July-August 2014 killed 2,251 Palestinians and 73 people on the Israeli side, and it destroyed or damaged thousands of homes in the besieged Gaza Strip.
Source: AFP