Israel’s military says it has now informed the families of 155 men, women and children that they’re being held hostage by Hamas in Gaza.
Gershon Baskin helped negotiate the release of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, who was captured in 2006 and held for 5 years.
He has been speaking to Hamas, trying to negotiate the release of hostages again. Matt Frei went to speak to him.
Matt Frei is Europe Editor and Presenter at Channel 4 News. This year he has led the Channel 4 News coverage of events in Ukraine from the crash site of Malaysia flight MH17, to the tensions in Crimea and reported live from Independence Square on Kiev’s bloodiest day. He has also secured major interviews with Bill Clinton, George W Bush and Aung San Suu Kyi. Prior to his appointment as Europe Editor for Channel 4 News, Frei was the Washington Correspondent for two years and has reported on the Americas on everything from business and culture to US foreign policy and its view of the world. He is also part of the presenting team across Channel 4's news and current affairs portfolio, including the award-winning Dispatches programme. Matt previously anchored the BBC World News America bulletin and was also Washington Correspondent. He presented a weekly radio show called Americana, and in two decades at the corporation reported from Bonn, Rome, Bosnia, Kosovo, North Africa, Hong Kong and Singapore. He is the author of two books: Italy: The Unfinished Revolution published in 1996 by Random House and Mandarin books and Only In America published in 2008 by 4th Estate.
Gershon Baskin shares his insights regarding the nature of the negotiations, and claims that there has never been a situation like the one we are in and these negotiations are different from all previous negotiations.
Gershon Baskin feels that an Israel-Syria Golan Peace Park would make a genuine contribution to peace and prosperity by reducing conflict between the two countries and by creating a safe and secure space for communities promoting peaceful coexistence.
Gershon Baskin shares his scepticism with i24 news regarding reports that a hostage deal is imminent.