While Noam Shalit told the media he has not been informed of any new or breaking developments regarding efforts to obtain his son’s release, the Prime Minister’s Office on motzei Shabbos announced Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is sending ISA (Israel Security Agency – Shin Bet) Director Yuval Diskin and special envoy Ofir Dekel to finalize a prisoner release deal in Cairo. The two are expected to return late Sunday.

Last week, intensive talks were reported, which were also accompanied by a visit by Dekel who was working in earnest to close a deal before the current administration steps down.

The message release by the PM’s Office on motzei Shabbos confirmed the two officials are traveling to Egypt, adding both Premier-designate Binyamin Netanyahu and Noam Shalit were being updated on ongoing events.

While no official notification of a deal has been released, the Shalits and the nation await word as a deal may indeed be imminent.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)