[UPDATES IN EXTENDED ARTICLE]

19:26 IL: Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu appears to be working to convene his high-level ministerial forum of eight cabinet ministers on Tuesday night to approve a deal that has been reached for the release of Gilad Shalit.

While there are no official messages being released, reliable sources are signaling the ministers may convene later tonight towards approving a deal that was hammered out between Israel and Hamas through the intervention of the German media.

UPDATE 19:50 IL: It is now being reported that the ministerial forum of eight met already during the night (Monday to Tuesday) and this evening, Oct. 11, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has summoned his cabinet ministers for an urgent session, which appears to be a move towards obtaining government approval for the deal that has been worked out with Hamas.

Kol Chai Radio reports that during the ministerial meeting during the night, the senior ministers reviewed the names of 450 Hamas terrorists, deciding the fate of each and every one of them.

Ze’ev Fleishman of the Free Shalit campaign reports that rumors have been circulating for the past week, and they continue davening that a deal is imminent, one that will bring Gilad Shalit home for Yomtov. At present, all information is based on reliable but yet unofficial sources.

UPDATE 19:57: Official government sources are now confirming that Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has called his cabinet ministers for an urgent session, tonight, Tuesday, October 11, 2011, to approve a prisoner exchange deal for the release of Gilad Shalit.

It appears the German negotiator has hammered out a deal, an agreement that has been approved by the ministerial forum of eight during the night. According to reports, the forum of 8 ministers reviewed the names of 450 terrorists whose names appear on the list slated for release. It is assumed the forum approved the list, explaining the effort to now gain cabinet approval.

The official source adds that officials in the Prime Minister’s Office on Tuesday night have notified Noam and Aviva Shalit, the soldier’s parents, signaling that a deal may be approved in the coming hours.

Hamas leaders in recent years have indicated there would be no compromise, stating all of the names on the list would have to be included in a prisoner exchange, without exception.

Despite sincere prayers for the release of the soldier, who recently marked his fifth Rosh Hashanah in captivity, many Israelis, including victims of terror, oppose any deal that would result in the release of hundreds of heinous terrorists, a move that they insist would result in increased terrorism and more loss of life.

YWN-Israel will continue providing updates on a possible Shalit prisoner exchange deal as they become available.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)