Sarkozy: Kidnapped Israeli soldier alive

JERUSALEM, Jan. 27 (UPI) -- The father of Gilad Shalit says French President Nicolas Sarkozy has confirmed the abducted Israeli soldier is still alive.

Noam Shalit, who was in France where his family also holds citizenship, said Tuesday he was told his son had survived the Israeli incursion into Gaza that had left hundreds of Palestinians dead, Haaretz reported Wednesday. The younger Shalit was captured by Palestinian militants during a cross-border raid on an Israeli military base near Gaza June 25, 2006.

Shalit said that while no new direct messages from his son had been received, he was hopeful "something might well be on the way."

He said Sarkozy had been trying to secure up-to-date information about his son's condition since the Hamas-Israel cease-fire and passed along his findings at a pre-arranged meeting.

Sarkozy had a personal conversation with Syrian president Bashar Assad and with two French politicians who traveled to Damascus to meet with Hamas political chief Khaled Meshal, Shalit told Haaretz.

Meanwhile, the head of the Diplomatic-Security Bureau at the Israeli Defense Ministry said it was unlikely the reopening of Gaza border crossings would be used to secure the soldier's return.

"Even if we open all the crossings, this won't bring back Shalit," said Amos Gilad, speaking in Tel Aviv. "There are other ways to achieve this, and they are well-known."