(Haaretz).Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is re-examining the handling of the Gilad Shalit case and will soon remove Ofer Dekel as special negotiator for bringing the abducted soldier back. A source in Netanyahu's bureau said that "everything related to the Shalit affair is under reconsideration and everything is open."
A week ago Netanyahu met with Dekel, who was former prime minister Ehud Olmert's special envoy concerning Shalit. The two discussed the contacts over Shalit's release since the soldier was abducted to Gaza in June 2006. The two will meet again Thursday, when Netanyahu is expected to tell Dekel he will appoint a new negotiating team.
The Shalit family met Netanyahu last week and asked him to replace Dekel, Channel 2 reported Sunday. Family members said they had lost faith in Dekel and Netanyahu has agreed to the request, Channel 2 reported. Shalit's father, however, has denied he has lost faith in Dekel.
In any case, the prime minister is expected to consider new possibilities concerning the case, even if he has yet to come up with a specific plan or candidate to replace Dekel, said a source in the Prime Minister's Bureau.
"We are still studying the matter and I have yet to formulate the appropriate direction for continuing negotiations," Netanyahu reportedly said.
General Omar Suleiman, the head of Egyptian intelligence, will arrive in Israel on Wednesday and meet with Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak. He will discuss the Shalit affair among many other issues.
