Shalit's parents seeking clarifications

JERUSALEM, Jan. 25 (UPI) -- The parents of kidnapped Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit are seeking clarifications from the government over their son's status, sources say.

Noam and Aviva Shalit were scheduled to meet Monday with Hagai Hadas, the Israeli envoy to talks for the release the soldier. Unnamed sources told Ynetnews.com the couple planned ask him for clarifications following a report in the German weekly Der Spiegel that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had pulled back an Israeli offer to release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for Shalit.

The Israeli Web site characterized Der Spiegel's report as saying the framework of the prisoner swap offer is collapsing. Netanyahu's office, however, says the negotiations are ongoing.

Ynetnews.com said the Shalit release talks have been stalled since Hamas rejected an Israeli swap offer that didn't include several well-known prisoners who had been involved in terror attacks.

The Israeli soldier was captured by Palestinian militants in 2006 during a cross-border raid into Israel and has since been held in Gaza.