Germany’s intelligence service the BND has been active for weeks in the Middle East in the search for the kidnapped Israeli soldiers, a German newspaper reported on Friday. According to the Berliner Zeitung, German agents, in cooperation with their Russian counterparts, are using their contacts with Hamas and Hezbollah to try to secure the release of the hostages. The paper claims Germany’s Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov agreed July 12 on a joint mission to the Middle East to try to force an end to the conflict. Full Story