Der Speigel: Exchange deal to bear fruit soon

BERLIN, (PIC)– The German mediation has succeeded in achieving a breakthrough in the prisoners’ exchange deal between the Hamas Movement and Israel, German weekly Der Spiegel reported in its latest edition.

It added that German efforts would bear fruit soon.

The magazine said that in the first stage of the deal Israel is to release 450 prisoners after which Hamas would hand the Israeli captive Gilad Shalit to Egypt.

In the second stage, Israel is to release 550 prisoners for humanitarian reasons and in appreciation of the Egyptian efforts after which Shalit is to be returned to Israel, the weekly elaborated.