Ynetnews:  Sources in Cairo are expressing great optimism and claiming that a prisoner swap for abducted IDF soldier Gilad Shalit may be finalized by the middle of June, Palestinian newspaper al-Manar reported today.  The credibility of the east Jerusalem paper's report is unclear at this time, as reports regarding progress on the Shalit front were proven overly optimistic.  A Cairo source told the paper that new Israeli chief negotiator, David Meidan, will arrive in the Egyptian capital in the coming days and hold meetings with senior Egyptian officials regarding the swap.  According to the report Meidan will also be meeting with the German mediator who recently discussed the Shalit affair with top Hamas figures in Cairo.  According to the source, Egypt boosted its efforts as of late in a bid to finalize a prisoner deal between Israel and Hamas.  The commander of Hamas's military wing, Ahmed Jabari, was reportedly in Cairo recently and discussed the swap with Egypt's intelligence chief.  Earlier this week, Hamas's Politburo Chief Khaled Maashal said that while some progress was achieved in recent months in respect to a prisoner swap, Palestinian demands have not yet been met.  

My Comments:  This young Israeli soldier, only 25 years old, was kidnapped on 6/25/06, by a Hamas cross border raid.  He has been held hostage in the Gaza strip at an unknown location for the last five years.  I have seen the anguished face of this young man's mother and I can't even imagine what I would do in her position.  This young soldier is being held where "Satan's seat is," among Palestinian's Hamas terrorists and is suffering God only knows what.  Gilad has been on my daily prayer list for the last year and I am trusting God that these news reports have validity, that God's hand is intervening in this tragic situation and that the Lord will restore him to his family very soon.  If you haven't heard of Gilad, please pray for him; please pray for his safety and soon return to his family, and please pray for his family.  Let's pray, believing God, as if this was your own son, or my own son.  Thank you and God bless you.