Shalit. Home by Ramadan?
Photo: Noam Rotem
Shalit's friends gather for his birthday
Photo: Amir Cohen
Source: Significant progress in talks for Shalit's release
Foreign source involved in negotiations for release of IDF soldier kidnapped by Palestinians tells Ynet atmosphere in past few days has been extremely positive. 'If there are no surprises, Shalit will be freed by Ramadan,' source estimates
Significant progress has been noted in the talks on kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit, Ynet learned on Thursday.
According to the source, who is very involved in the mediation between Israel
and the Palestinians, a series of trust-building steps on the part of Israel toward the Palestinians is expected in the near future.
He added, however, that "we have learnt that last-minute problems can disrupt the whole thing, but I can say for certain that the talks are currently in the most encouraging and positive stage since the abduction."
A foreign source involved in the negotiations for Shalit's release from Palestinian captivity told Ynet that the talks are currently in an advanced stage and in the most encouraging state since Shalit was kidnapped at the end of June.
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He estimated that a number of teen prisoners, male and female, will be released in the near future, and that additional Palestinian prisoners will be freed after Shalit's release.
According to the source, the expected release of senior Hamas officials detained in Israel will be carried out as part of those trust-building steps.
Want to put an end to the affair
The source added that in the coming days the Palestinians are expected to form lists of prisoners who they demand should be released in the framework of the talks for Shalit's release. The progress, the source said, was made possible due to the sides' desire to put an end to the grim affair.
The parties involved in the affair, he said, hope that it will be solved ahead of the holiday of Ramadan, which will begin in about 10 days. According to the source, the atmosphere in recent days is very positive and if there are no surprises, Shalit will be released very soon.
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Only an unexpected failure, he said, would prevent the release, "which we hope will take place ahead of Ramadan or close to it."
The Shalit family hopes that the upcoming Ramadan period will bring about the awaited turning point and will assist in releasing the kidnapped son.
On Tuesday, Gilad's father Noam Shalit excitingly called on his son's kidnappers to agree to release him in exchange for the release of hundreds of prisoners, before Ramadan.
Talking to Arab reporters at the Ambassador Hotel in east Jerusalem, Shalit noted that the kidnapping affair has caused pain to "hundreds of thousands of innocent Palestinians, who have since been suffering from military pressure, a siege and destruction imposed by the State of Israel, in addition to hundreds of people killed and injured."
