Ofir Dekel, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s emissary dealing with efforts to release Gilad Shalit is extending his stay in Cairo.

According to a Thursday morning Galei Tzahal (Army Radio) report, while there are no reports of any breakthrough, “intensive talks” surrounding a deal for Shalit’s release are continuing with the realization that Israel will not advance any ceasefire talks until the issue of the captive soldier is resolved.

Minister (Labor) Binyamin Ben-Eliezer is calling for a cabinet meeting to discuss the names of the Hamas terrorists appearing on the list as part of the Shalit deal.

A Hamas report states Israeli negotiators to date have approved about half of the list of terrorists submitted for release.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)