Olmert: Linking cease-fire to Shalit wrong

JERUSALEM, Oct. 10 (UPI) -- Outgoing Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert says linking the cease-fire in the Gaza Strip to the release of kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit was a mistake.

The newspaper Haaretz said Friday that Olmert, who has resigned as prime minister, has admitted in a series of recent private conversations that linking the two regional concerns was a mistake and called for movement on one of the two issues.

Olmert said in order to ensure the release of the kidnapped Israeli soldier, the Israeli government must put increased pressure on Hamas, which controls Gaza.

Olmert, whose designated successor is Tzipi Livni, the foreign affairs minister in his cabinet, has warned that such increased pressure could threaten the fragile cease-fire in place in the Gaza Strip.

Meanwhile, senior defense officials have suggested that any movement regarding Shalit's possible release must involve Egypt.

One unidentified official said Egypt must play an increased role as mediator between Israel and Hamas if Shalit is to be released after being held for more than two years by the Palestinian militants.

"Without serious mediation and real pressure, this will not work," the official told Haaretz.