Palestine, December 21, 2009 (Pal Telegraph) - Today morning, senior Israeli cabinet ministers convened for the fourth time for discussions on a prisoner exchange deal with Hamas, this would free Gilad Shalit after more than three years in captivity.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other six ministers met today: Ehud Barak, Avigdor Lieberman, Benny Begin, Moshe Ya'alon, Eli Yishai and Dan Meridor.

The deal will release Shalit in exchange for hundreds of Palestinians now held in Israeli prisons. The seven ministers met much of the day and until late in the night Sunday to discuss the deal with Hamas that kidnapped Shalit.

Netanyahu said Sunday that while he was pushing for a deal, he was not willing to make certain concessions to Hamas. Netanyahu added: "I'm ready to go far with the Shalit deal but I will not compromise on my red lines, chief among them the release of terrorists to the West Bank,"

The discussions among the forum of seven ministers began early Sunday morning. On Saturday night the Prime Minister's Bureau called the six other members of the forum for a special meeting.

That morning session lasted for some 90 minutes, and continued in the afternoon with another meeting of more than three hours. The ministers met for a third time at 8 p.m.

Aviva, Shalit's mother, urged on Monday the ministers debating the deal to remember that their vote would either decision her son to death or set him free.

Shalit said that she realized the quandary involved in the end of a prisoner exchange deal, but highlighted the errors she felt were committed by the government during Gilad's captivity.

Aviva Shalit said:"Every conceivable mistake was made. It's impossible for him to be left there for so many days,"
A senior Israeli official said of the mediated talks between Israel and Hamas said: "Discussions are at a vital stage, but not in a final stage".

"The Shalit case is psychologically very difficult," sources close to the prime minister said. Netanyahu has still not made a decision. Those close to him say that he is in a dilemma, Haaretz reported.