According to some of the Arab media reports, the visit to Jerusalem on Sunday by Egyptian Intelligence Chief General Omar Suleiman is to finalize a deal towards obtaining the release of Gilad Shalit.

The Egyptian el-Aram reported on Saturday in an interview with PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) that the PA leader reported “Israeli officials who spoke with him” indicated the talks towards closing a deal for Shalit’s release have hit a dead end. He added the German mediator has set a deadline and if an agreement has not been reached in 2-3 weeks, he will be stepping down.

Fox News reported that Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is responsible for the stalled talks, refusing to agree to the draft agreement presented to him a number of weeks ago.

Hamas officials’ report Israel is refusing to release “senior terrorists” and this is the delay, adding the terrorist organization will not exhibit flexibility, determined to release everyone on its list in exchange for Gilad Shalit.

Al-Quds al-Arabi reports the same thing more or less, than the ‘ball is in Israel’s court’, all making the assumption that Hamas is indeed serious and the terror organization does not plan to exhibit flexibility, placing the burden on Israel alone.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)