Hamas affiliate: Shalit deal about to be finalized
Senior reporter affiliated with Palestinian group says recent developments in negotiations for kidnapped soldier's release 'suggest it is on its way to completion.' Conflict remains over whether prisoners will be released by Israel to their homes in West Bank, to Gaza, or abroad
A senior Palestinian reporter wrote Wednesday that a deal between Israel and Hamas for the release of kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit was nearing completion.
Sawaf, who is considered a Hamas affiliate, claims a German negotiator has become involved in the proceedings in an Egyptian effort to press Israel into reaching a deal soon.
He also explains that the conflict is no longer over the details of the deal, but over the manner in which it will be carried out, namely whether the Palestinian prisoners will be released by Israel to their homes in the West Bank, to Gaza, or abroad.
But Sawaf says it is too early to tell when the prisoner swap deal will be completed. "The Zionist side has proven it can overturn the agreement at any given moment," he wrote.
Meanwhile, Shalit's father Noam met with Hagai Hadas, Israel's representative to talks on his son's release from captivity. The meeting was described as an "update".
The Shalit campaign headquarters stated that the meeting had been scheduled in advance, and that it was related to daily updates and not "developments reported by the media".
Gilad Shalit was kidnapped into the Gaza Strip 1,158 days ago
