Syria receives letter for Shalit

Gilad Shalit was captured in a raid into Israel by militants in June 2006

France has handed Syria a letter for the captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, who was seized by Palestinian militant groups in Gaza two years ago.

It was brought by French President Nicolas Sarkozy who was in Damascus for a summit with Syria, Qatar and Turkey.

The letter, from Cpl Shalit's father, is to be delivered by the Emir of Qatar to the Damascus-based leader of the Hamas movement, Khaled Meshal.

This is because Syria does not wish to be seen as a mediator for Israel.

French diplomats were quoted saying President Bashar al-Assad had been "happy to help" in the Shalit case "but he does not want to be seen as an official, designated middleman".

This is an issue I want to say very little about," Mr Sarkozy told the French news agency AFP in Damascus. "What I'm interested in is results."

On Wednesday, a senior Hamas figure in Gaza, Mahmoud Zahhar, was reported as saying Egyptian-mediated talks for Cpl Shalit's release had stalled.

He said Israel was continuing to reject Hamas's demands over a proposed prisoner exchange.

Hamas, which seized control of the Gaza Strip in June 2007, is seeking the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.

The French leader has pledged several times to help free Cpl Shalit, who has joint Israeli-French citizenship.