According to a report in the daily Yisrael HaYom, Israel has signaled the German mediator that Jerusalem is unwilling to go another round with Hamas regarding ongoing efforts to reach a deal towards the release of Gilad Shalit in exchange for some 1,000 terrorists. Recent reports have indicated Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has reached his limit, unwilling to address additional compromise towards satisfying Hamas demands.

The al-Quds al-Arabi newspaper is reporting that Hamas is unimpressed with Jerusalem’s attempt to signal unwillingness for additional compromise, and the terrorist organization maintaining its hard-line policy, insisting its demands will be met or there will not be a deal.

The breakdown in progress appears to surround Israel’s unwillingness to release the most senior terrorists, including Marwan Barghouti and Ahmad Sa’adat, but the mediation process does appear to be continuing for now in the hope of reaching mutual agreement.

In the meantime, the leaders of grassroots efforts to obtain Shalit’s release are indeed concerned; fearing the failure to reach agreement at present might be a “death sentence” for Gilad as his parents called it, as was the case of Ron Arad, who fell into captivity in October 1986.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)