Dekel offers new proposal for Shalit exchange

Israel's chief negotiator for Gilad Shalit's release, Ofer Dekel, was in Cairo yesterday for talks with Egyptian intelligence regarding the deal with Hamas. For the first time, these talks were held while senior Hamas representatives, Mahmoud Al-Zahar and Imad Al-Alami, both involved in the Shalit issue, were also in Cairo.

Dekel gave Egypt Israel's new prisoner release proposal. Apparently it includes the agreement to release 220 "serious" prisoners on Hamas' list of 450. In addition, Israel is offering Hamas a list of another 400 prisoners, from which the organization can choose half for release. Palestinian sources say the practical gaps between the sides are fairly small, and only a few dozen prisoners are actually in dispute.

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert changed his public statements on the matter over the past few days, again saying he hoped to see Shalit released while he was still in office. Olmert had sounded more pessimistic last week. Defense Minister Ehud Barak also spoke optimistically yesterday.

Anshel Pfeffer adds: While waiting for the truce agreement, the Palestinians and the Israel Defense Forces continue the daily ritual of firing Qassam rockets into Israel and attacking tunnels on the Philadelphi route. Yesterday one Qassam hit a yard in Sderot. In response, the IAF bombed arms smuggling tunnels.