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Irish Parliamentarians offered to bring letters and parcels from family to captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit in Gaza

The Irish members of the parliamentary delegation, Senator Mark Daly, Deputy Chris Andrews and Deputy Aengus O'Snodaigh have rejected  Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister, Danny Ayalon's accusation that no offer was made to the family of captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit to deliver letters and parcels to him in Gaza. The Oireachtas members, who were due to travel to Gaza on the aid flotilla but were prevented from doing so by Cypriot authorities, wrote to Shalit's father last week in response to a letter received by the Free Gaza movement in which Namon Shalit asked that letters and parcels be delivered to his son.
 
The three members of parliament agreed to personally hand deliver the letters and parcels to the Red Cross in Gaza or to their fellow Irishman John Ging, Head of the United Nation's Relief and Works Agency in Gaza. They committed to asking the Red Cross and John Ging to try to ensure that Gilad receives the letter and parcels and gets visits from the Red Cross. They also agreed to reiterate their call for Shalit's release, while in Gaza.

This is at odds with Mr.Ayalon's assertions that no such offer of assistance was made. Senator Daly said 'it is untrue to state that Gilad Shalit's family were not offered an opportunity to transfer letters and parcels to their son. My colleagues and I made contact with the family last week to extend such an offer to them.'