Forum of 7 Hands Response to German Mediator in Shalit Affair

The inner cabinet, the so-called Forum of 7 met on Monday night until close to midnight. The forum�s response was handed to the German mediator involved in shuttle diplomacy efforts towards obtaining the release of Gilad Shalit. According to Reuters, quoting an anonymous source close to the negotiations; the response will be passed to Hamas on Tuesday. No addition information was added.

The meeting, which began at 8:00pm on Monday night, was the forum�s fifth since Sunday morning, as the inner cabinet works to reach a decision regarding Hamas� demands for the release of about 1,000 terrorists, rejecting Israel�s position that some of the arch terrorists will be deported to Gaza or a country abroad following their release.

Serving on the Forum of 7 are Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu (Likud); Defense Minister Ehud Barak (Labor); Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman (Yisrael Beitenu); Minister without Portfolio Dr. Binyamin Begin (Likud); Minister of Strategic Affairs Moshe Ya’alon (Likud); Interior Minister Eli Yishai (Shas); and Minister of Intelligence & Atomic Energy Dan Meridor (Likud).

(Yechiel Spira � YWN Israel)