Captive soldier Gilad Shalit
Photo: Noam Rotem
Senior operative: Major progress on Shalit
Source linked to Hamas denies reports that abducted soldier Shalit to be transferred to Egypt shortly, but confirms significant progress in talks
A senior member of one of the organizations holding Gilad Shalit denied reports that the captive IDF soldier would soon be transferred to Egypt. However, the senior source told Ynet Tuesday that significant progress was being made in talks on the soldier's release.
Earlier Tuesday, Palestinian news agency Maan reported Shalit would be transferred to Egypt "within the coming hours" but all official sources, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office, denied the report.
Meanwhile, the senior Palestinian source said Hamas and affiliates holding Shalit had received orders to keep mum on the issue of his release.
However, he said the sides were closer to an agreement on the issue than during the final days of former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's term.
"There has been huge progress in the past two weeks, and we expect this progress to continue and maybe even to lead to a breakthrough very soon," the source added.
The soldier's father, Noam Shalit, told Ynet he knew nothing of the report fo his son's Imminent transfer to Egypt. "We've already learned not to rely on the different reports in the Arab media," he said.
