The inner cabinet, the so-called Forum of 7 met on Monday night until close to midnight. The forum’s response was handed to the German mediator involved in shuttle diplomacy efforts towards obtaining the release of Gilad Shalit. According to Reuters, quoting an anonymous source close to the negotiations; the response will be passed to Hamas on Tuesday. No addition information was added.

The meeting, which began at 8:00pm on Monday night, was the forum’s fifth since Sunday morning, as the inner cabinet works to reach a decision regarding Hamas’ demands for the release of about 1,000 terrorists, rejecting Israel’s position that some of the arch terrorists will be deported to Gaza or a country abroad following their release.

Serving on the Forum of 7 are Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu (Likud); Defense Minister Ehud Barak (Labor); Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman (Yisrael Beitenu); Minister without Portfolio Dr. Binyamin Begin (Likud); Minister of Strategic Affairs Moshe Ya’alon (Likud); Interior Minister Eli Yishai (Shas); and Minister of Intelligence & Atomic Energy Dan Meridor (Likud).

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)

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