While officials in Jerusalem are declining requests to comment, widespread media reports indicate ISA (Israel Security Agency – Shin Bet) Director Yuval Diskin and Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s personal emissary dealing with prisoner release issues, Ofir Dekel, will be returning to Egypt in the coming day or two.

The unconfirmed reports speak of “progress” surrounding Egyptian-mediated talks with Hamas towards a prisoner exchange deal in which Israel will release hundreds of terrorists for Gilad Shalit.

Arab media reports state the two arrived in Cairo on Tuesday night but senior Egyptian Foreign Ministry officials deny the accuracy of those reports.

Today, Wednesday, Noam Shalit’s Gilad’s father, is planning to meet with the leaders of NGO groups working for Gilad’s release. The meeting will take place in the Shalit home in Mitzpei Hila.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)