Developments in the drawn out Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev kidnapping affair could be near, a report in the Lebanese daily a-Safir newspaper claims. If there is a successful resolution to release Goldwasser and Regev, Palestinian sources say the move could trickle down to spark a final deal for kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit's release.

The same Palestinian source had a shocking revelation as for why advancements in negotiations had come all of a sudden. The source claimed that Israel's week-long nationwide emergency drill that began Sunday had 'apparently prompted the Israeli powers to send a calming message (to Syria and the Hizbullah), thus the acceleration in the talks.'

Criticism of the Prime Minister's office was not hard to come by as news of the development spread. The mother of Goldwasser said 'Olmert wants to be known as the one who refused to pay a hefty price for soldiers' return, but he will always be remembered as the one who created three more Ron Arads.'

Noam Shalit also spared no harsh thoughts for Olmert. He claimed Olmert keeps putting off making a decision to sign a hard deal for Gilad Shalit's release.

All three soldiers were kidnapped during the Second Lebanon War of 2006, and have been in capitivity for nearly two years. 4/6/2008

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