According to PA and Islamic Jihad sources quoted by the daily Yediot Achronot, a deal for the release of Gilad Shalit is near being signed, an event that the Arabic reports indicate will be actualized before id el-Fitr, the Islamic holiday that marks the end of Ramadan, coinciding this year with the end of September.

A PA reporter on Israeli events adds that “intensive negotiations” are taking place with the assistance of an Egyptian mediator, talks that are being held far from the media spotlight. The report adds that on erev shabbos, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu met with Defense Minister Ehud Barak and senior ISA (Israel Security Agency – Shin Bet), Mossad Intelligence Agency and military intelligence officials to brief them on the ongoing process. The forum agreed to wrap up the Shalit affair by agreeing to the release of most of the terrorists on Hamas’ list, the PA report adds “to permit Israel to direct attention to the Hizbullah front”.

According to the report, during the high-level briefing on Friday, the prime minister reminded participants of the Elchanan Tannenbaum exchange deal approved by Ariel Sharon in 2000, a deal which exhibited Israel’s commitment to release captives even if a high price must be paid.

It is also pointed out that the Friday meeting was conducted under a veil of secrecy, a rare event, and the six cabinet ministers who took part did not leak a word to the media.

The correspondent adds “a high-level source revealed a number of weeks ago that the exchange deal for the captive soldier was agreed to some three months ago, but Israel had not yet signed. Even the soldier’s father during a visit to Rahat last week told the press that Netanyahu is doing everything possible to close a deal towards obtaining his son’s release”.

It should be pointed out that YWN reported a “senior Hamas delegation” headed by Muhmad a-Zahar traveled from Gaza to Egypt over the weekend, but officials stated the visit is not related to the Shalit negotiations.

Officials in the Prime Minister’s Office declined to comment on the report based on information from a PA news agency aligned with Islamic Jihad.

As a reminder, on this Wednesday, 12 August, at 7:00pm, there is a tefilla rally at the Kosel on behalf of Gilad Shalit.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)