This is just a quick link to follow -- an "aside." These are links to interesting things that, for one reason or another, I didn't place into a full posting. Click the link to visit the full article. Go to the blog index for a regular listing of posts.
Hamas won't budge in demands for Israeli soldier - 'Hamas will not release a captured Israeli soldier unless Israel meets its demand to free nearly 1,400 Palestinian prisoners, including 350 with life sentences, a leader of the Islamist group in Gaza said on Wednesday...'
According to The Palestinian Mann News Service a deal is done
http://yidwithlid.blogspot.com/2007/12/palestinan-mann-news-shalit-deal-done.html