Olmert: 'I hope Schalit issue will be resolved soon'

By JPOST.COM STAFF
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Tuesday that he hoped a agreement to secure the release of captured IDF soldier Gilad Schalit would be finalized soon. Speaking during a tour of the Western Wall tunnels in Jerusalem, Olmert said, "We will make decision on this [on Wednesday], and I hope these decisions will be a basis with which to facilitate a solution within a short period of time - even if it's not within the term of the present government." "I hope the issue will be finalized soon," he said. The prime minister also reiterated previous comments that the matter of the soldier's release is at the top of Israel's list of priorities, along with halting terrorist rocket fire from Gaza and arms smuggling to the Strip.