Binyamin Ben-Eliezer, Israel's industry and trade minister, told Israeli Army radio, "I am very happy that this deal is moving toward completion in the very near future." Ben-Eliezer, an ex-general, is not a member of the inner security cabinet deliberating over the prisoner swap.
After President Shimon Peres held talks with his Egyptian counterpart Hosni Mubarak in Cairo on Sunday, he spoke of "real progress" in the negotiations.
On the other side, Hamas delegations were in Cairo talking to Egyptian intelligence and are said to be heading for Damascus to consult the exiled political leadership -- giving further fuel for the speculation.
However, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said today an Israeli prisoner exchange with Hamas has not yet been agreed and might not happen.
"There is still no deal, and I do not know if there will be one."
While many hope for a deal soon, Netanyahu indicated more process is necessary: "Should there be such (a swap) we will not be sparing with a public discussion. We will not do it as a fait accompli. We will allow the cabinet ministers, and the public in general, to discuss the issue."
Hamas accused Israel of stirring up such speculation in a bid to generate Palestinian popular pressure on the movement to speed up a deal.
A Hamas statement said:
The brouhaha in the media talking about being close to reach an agreement on prisoner exchange deal is purely Israeli leaks designed to influence the feelings of our children, prisoners and their families and to try to pressure and influence on the process of indirect negotiations carried out through the German intermediary. Hamas will continue its efforts through the competent authority to overcome the obstacles set by the Israeli enemy in the way of completion of exchange … Although we hope to reach an honorable deal for our people as soon as possible, would like to emphasize that it is premature to talk about specific results … or close a deal.It could be a bargaining move since there is likely disagreement between the two parties about releasing certain individuals.
The release of prisoners is a very important issue for Palestinians. Nearly 11,000 are held in Israeli jails.
Hamas would gain from such a swap; it would boost its credibility and legitimacy. The Guardian suggests:
Israel is likely to try to lessen the impact of that by also freeing prisoners from the mainstream Fatah movement, which has been badly weakened by the failure to make any progress in peace talks and the threat by Mahmoud Abbas, the Fatah leader and Palestinian president, to leave the political stage.Israel tends to hold so many Palestinians that prisoner swaps tend to be disproportionate. In 1985 Israel freed 1,150 prisoners in exchange for three soldiers captured during the Lebanon war.
In early October Israel released 20 Palestinian female prisoners in exchange for a minute-long "proof of life" tape video of Gilad Shalit.
