The Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Subcommittee for Intelligence, Secret Services, Captives and Missing Soldiers called on Saturday night for the government to establish an official policy on dealing with captive soldiers. The subcommittee was briefed on Friday by Shin Bet chief Yoram Cohen about the deal in which Gilad Schalit was released from Hamas captivity, in a meeting that was closed to the media. Cohen told committee members about the prisoner exchange's expected ramifications and strategies for Israel to better deal with similar situations in the future. The committee released a statement on Saturday night saying that the state should have clear guidelines on how to deal with captive soldiers. Committee members said they would continue to discuss the deal in order to draft recommendations on the subject, which will be presented to the government.
(photo credit: The Jerusalem Post)