For the third time this week, news agencies reported that a deal for the release of kidnapped IDF soldier Gilad Shalit was imminent. The latest report Saturday, in a London-based Arabic paper, said that Shalit would be moved "very soon" to Egyptian custody, in the first stage of his eventual release.
The report said that both Hamas and Israel had eased their positions somewhat. Israel will release a total of 1,100 terrorists, 400 of them to be named specifically by Hamas; that's 50 fewer than the terror group had been demanding. The deal would see the release of nearly all female and minor terrorists in Israeli prisons. In addition, Israel would allow the free passage of goods into and out of Gaza, via the Erez and Karni checkpoints. Israeli officials had no comment on the report Saturday.