Hamas military head Ahmed Jabari has joined the negotiations in Cairo for the release of kidnapped IDF soldier Gilad Shalit.
Jabari is directly responsible for the physical well-being of the captive soldier, according to a report published in the London-based Arabic-language al-Hayat newspaper, which says it is Jabari's group that is holding Shalit.
Jabari, who reportedly has never left Gaza before, has been in Cairo for the past three days, as has Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's special envoy, Ofer Dekel, and the head of the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet), Yuval Diskin.
The Israeli and Hamas delegations are staying in adjacent rooms, with an Egyptian mediator shuttling back and forth between the two, according to Palestinian Authority sources quoted by the newspaper.
Rafi Eitan Optimistic, Olmert Not So Sure
Pensioners Affairs Minister Rafi Eitan, a former member of the international Mossad intelligence agency, expressed optimism on Monday that the two Israeli emissaries would return with a deal for Shalit's release, albeit later than expected.
Prime Minister Olmert had given Hamas until Sunday night to make a decision on Israel's proposal for a prisoner swap deal in exchange for the captive soldier.
The deadline passed without comment, however, and Olmert told Dekel and Diskin to remain in Cairo pending further developments. He also postponed a special Cabinet session that had been scheduled for Monday to discuss whatever results they were to bring back from the discussions. The meeting is now scheduled for Tuesday instead.
"After this everyone can express remorse and say 'I told you so,' but let's just wait another day and see what the results are," the Cabinet minister said in an interview on IDF Army Radio.
"I assume that the results will be positive. If an agreement is brought before the Cabinet for approval, I have no doubt we will pass it," he added.
The Prime Minister's Office continued to caution, however, that "there is no sign that indicates a result in any particular direction in the negotiations."
A source close to the prime minister told Israel's Channel 10 TV on Sunday that "we will be surprised if a deal to release Gilad Shalit comes through in the next few days." Olmert confidantes were reportedly pessimistic about the chances of a last-minute deal being completed before his term in office ends.
In either case, on Tuesday Olmert will brief Shalit's parents, Noam and Aviva, about the results of the discussions in Cairo, and then will convene the Cabinet to either approve a deal for a prisoner exchange or report on the failure to reach an agreement with Hamas.
Prime Minister-designate Binyamin Netanyahu is expected to step into office on Thursday.
Details on Sticking Points
According to sources quoted by the Hebrew-language Yediot Acharonot, "Israel totally objects to the release of prisoners who had been directly involved in attacks that led to the mass killing of Israelis, and also refuses to free [eastern] Jerusalemite or Israeli Arab prisoners, whom it considers to be Israeli citizens."
Israel is reportedly willing to free more than 300 of the 450 terrorists whose release has been demanded by Hamas, the sources said, estimating that when that number nears 400, Hamas may be more inclined to close the deal.
Another sticking point centers on the issue of expulsions: Israel is bent on deporting 90 of the freed terrorists out of the country, and transferring another 30 from Judea and Samaria, into Gaza.
According to the London-based Arabic-language newspaper ash-Sharq il-Awsat, Hamas has rejected the expulsion demand outright. However, the terror group reportedly is willing to consider the transfer based on concerns that it reduced the risk that Israel might later be able to carry out targeted assassinations.
Ultimately, however, Hamas is still holding out for the release of all of the terrorists whose freedom it has demanded, according to the sources quoted by Yediot Acharonot. The Damascus-connected political arm of Hamas "is adamant on the release of all prisoners whose names are on the list, and its representatives have already stated they were willing to wait another year for the release of all prisoners," the sources said.