Foreign Secretary David Miliband issued a statement today to coincide with the third anniversary of the kidnapping of Gilad Shalit.
He said: "Both British Ministers and the British Ambassador in Israel have had repeated contact with Gilad's family and emphasised our support for Gilad's immediate release. Last September, the ambassador helped to deliver over 2,000 Jewish New Year cards for Gilad to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) as part of a campaign organised by the UK Jewish community. I repeat the UK's call to Hamas for his immediate, unconditional, and safe release. We share the Shalit family's dismay at Hamas's refusal to allow the ICRC access to Gilad."
However, Mr Miliband added: "I do not forget the humanitarian plight of ordinary Gazans. I repeat the UK's calls on Israel to reduce further the current restrictions on the Gaza crossings, to allow in aid, reconstruction materials, and trade goods, and to permit the legitimate flow of people through the crossings. It is imperative to start a new cycle of hope in Gaza, so that all turn their back on violence and focus on building a safe and secure future."