OCCUPIED JERUSALEM (PIC)– Progress has been achieved in the Cairo talks over the release of captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit in Gaza in return for the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails Hebrew press said on Monday.
Yediot Ahronot said that the postponement of the Israeli special cabinet meeting on the exchange deal for 24 hours pointed to progress in the negotiations in Cairo.
It explained that the main obstacle before the conclusion of that deal was Israel’s insistence on deportation of “heavy weight” Palestinian prisoners to be freed in the deal.
However it said that the office of premier Ehud Olmert denied any positive or negative development in the talks which are made between Israel and the Palestinian factions capturing Shalit led by Hamas with Egyptian mediation.
Olmert was apparently racing against time to conclude a deal before Likud leader Benjamin Netanyahu announces agreement on formation of a new coalition government the early signs of which was made late Sunday evening when Netanyahu signed a deal with Yisrael Beiteinu party led by Avigdor Lieberman.
The agreement stipulates appointing Lieberman as foreign minister while four other portfolios would go to his party.
However the alliance between the two would not secure majority in the 120-seat parliament and Netanyahu has still to convince other parties to join his government to secure a vote of confidence.
Yisrael Beiteinu also won the post of deputy premier and chairmanship of the parliament’s legal committee according to that agreement.
