“There is still no deal, and I do not know if there will be one,” Netanyahu, whose refusal to disclose details of the state of the Egyptian- and German-mediated negotiations has helped stoked speculation about imminent progress, told reporters.Leaders of Hamas, the group ruling the Gaza Strip, were in Cairo to discuss the proposed swap of captive Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit for hundreds of jailed Palestinians.
Officials close to the talks said on Monday that Israel had dropped its objections to some 160 prisoners that Hamas wants included on the release roster. But both sides have demurred at anticipation, disseminated by Arab media, of an exchange being in place as soon as Friday, the Muslim feast of Eid al-Adha.
Israel had long balked at granting amnesty to Palestinians jailed for attacks that killed its citizens. While signaling flexibility in its bid to recover Shalit, the Israeli government is wary of a domestic backlash.
“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,” Netanyahu said.
Earlier on Tuesday, Industry and Trade Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer, who is not a member of the Israeli security cabinet deliberating the prisoner swap, said a deal was “moving toward completion in the very near future.”
