Barak to Cairo?
Photo: AP
Mashaal, to close the deal?
Photo: AFP
Report: Mashaal, Barak may be called to Cairo
Palestinian sources tell Egyptian daily al-Ahram that coming days 'crucial' for release of captive solider Gilad Shalit. Report also says Israeli defense minister, Hamas head in Syria may be summoned to Cairo to close deal
Palestinian sources said the coming days are "crucial" for the closing of a prisoner exchange deal for the release of captive Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit.
Egyptian newspaper al-Ahram on Sunday quoted sources as saying the negotiations have entered a last minute sprint in hopes of reaching a deal before Prime Minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu takes his post this Tuesday.
Not Talking
Top Israeli sources reiterate negotiations towards prisoner exchange deal aimed at securing release of captive soldier deadlocked. 'Until Hamas submits new list of prisoners it demands there will be no negotiations,' official says, adding that negotiator Ofer Dekel was not sent to Cairo
Defense Minister Ehud Barak and Hamas politburo Chief Khaled Mashaal may also be summoned to Egypt, in an attempt to complete the deal, the report said.
The sources said that the Egyptian leadership decided to try and complete the deal after Netanyahu asked President Shimon Peres for a two-week extension to form his government.
An advisor to Egyptian Intelligence Chief Omar Suleiman was then sent to Israel, while another one of his advisors was deployed to Syria.
An official source from the Prime Minister's Office told Ynet Sunday morning that "until Hamas submits a new list of 125 terrorist as we have requested – there will be no negotiations, Ofer Dekel did not travel to Cairo, and for the moment, there are no talks."
Meanwhile, the Islamic Jihad-affiliated website Falastin al-Youm on Saturday reported that a "countdown" for the signing of a deal had begun.
The unusual report was not confirmed by any official sources. The website reported that marathon negotiations, the likes of which have never before taken place between Israel and Hamas, through Egyptian mediators, were about to take place.
Gilad Shalit was kidnapped into the Gaza Strip 1,008 days ago
