(Ynet).Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday addressed the talks aimed at securing kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit's release, saying that the ball was in Hamas' court.
"If Hamas wants a deal, there will be one. If Hamas doesn't want a deal, there won't be one," the prime minister said in a joint press conference with Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi.
"We have a goal – to bring Gilad Shalit home safe and sound," Netanyahu said. "Our second goal is not to allow terrorists to murder our citizens again, neither in Judea and Samaria nor in the routes leading there. These are the two answers we gave the German mediator as well."
Netanyahu was addressing claims made earlier by Hamas strongman Mahmoud al-Zahar, who said that the deal has collapsed and that the Israeli prime minister for to blame for changing his stand.
Moving on to Israel's tense relations with Turkey, Netanyahu said that "our relations with Turkey are important. They have recently experienced a decline, and that wasn't our choice. I believe both countries have an interest to stabilize these relations.
"Naturally, any country which can help, like Italy, will be blessed. Can Silvio Berlusconi help? I assume he can," the prime minister said.
The Italian premier replied, "We will do the best we can to allow a deep friendship between Israel and Turkey."
"If Hamas wants a deal, there will be one. If Hamas doesn't want a deal, there won't be one," the prime minister said in a joint press conference with Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi.
"We have a goal – to bring Gilad Shalit home safe and sound," Netanyahu said. "Our second goal is not to allow terrorists to murder our citizens again, neither in Judea and Samaria nor in the routes leading there. These are the two answers we gave the German mediator as well."
Netanyahu was addressing claims made earlier by Hamas strongman Mahmoud al-Zahar, who said that the deal has collapsed and that the Israeli prime minister for to blame for changing his stand.
Moving on to Israel's tense relations with Turkey, Netanyahu said that "our relations with Turkey are important. They have recently experienced a decline, and that wasn't our choice. I believe both countries have an interest to stabilize these relations.
"Naturally, any country which can help, like Italy, will be blessed. Can Silvio Berlusconi help? I assume he can," the prime minister said.
The Italian premier replied, "We will do the best we can to allow a deep friendship between Israel and Turkey."