Israeli and Hamas officials could be on the verge of a breakthrough in negotiations to release abducted IDF soldier Gilad Shalit who was captured by the terror group over three years ago. Ma’an News is reporting that Israel transfered Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine leader Ahmad Sa’adat from a prison in Ashkelon to a cell in Mitzpe Ramon. The transfer could be the first step in preparing the PFLP leader for a prisoner swap to release Shalit. Sa’adat was arrested and found guilty for his involvement in the assassination of a right-wing Israeli minister. Moreover, Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu spoke with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak yesterday as senior Egyptian and Hamas officials meet to discuss the fate of Shalit.
Negotiations for the return of Shalit remains a major obstacle to peace agreements involving the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip. Moreover, critics of the government’s handling of the abduction continue to organize protests to rally support for the release of Shalit at any cost. However, many Israelis question whether Shalit is even alive seeing that Hamas has not recently released any evidence proving that he is not dead. Israel previously agreed to a prisoner swap with Hezbollah and received the corpses of two soldiers abducted along the Lebanese border in 2006.
Stay tuned.
