Supreme Court President Dorit Beinisch said the release of Gilad Shalit was not yet a done deal, at the end of a hearing before the High Court of Justice opposing the military censor’s blackout on the details of the proposed prisoner swap with Hamas.

“What we learned that can be said is that there is still no deal. It’s complicated, [and] not finalized. There are gaps in the positions of the parties and it’s possible there won’t be a deal. Under the current circumstances, there are no details to be publicized.”

Beinisch spoke following a briefing given by defense officials to the justices hearing the case. The petition was filed by bereaved parents and Almagor, an organization that represents terror victims.

The petitioners contend that military censorship has made real public debate on the details of a prisoner exchange deal for Shalit’s release impossible and that no information has been provided regarding whether the killers of the bereaved family members’ loved ones are among those expected to be released. Beinisch told the petitioners, however, that if a deal does take shape, representatives of terror victims will be given at least 48 hours to express their reservations.

Hamas Interior Minister Fathi Hamad said yesterday that his organization is working on the assumption that the deal to free Shalit will be carried out within two weeks. Al-Arabiya television reported that the German intermediary in the case arrived in Gaza yesterday to provide Israel’s latest response on the Shalit case.

According to the report, the mediator will meet with Hamas representatives, but will only receive their response following consultations between Hamas leadership in Gaza and Damascus.

The Associated Press reported that the differences between Israel and Hamas now hinge on 50 prisoners, among a list of 450 names, which Israel refuses to free. The London-based Al-Hayat newspaper reported that Israel is also not prepared to release five women prisoners who were sentenced to life terms.

Meanwhile, Gilad Shalit’s parents, Noam and Aviva, yesterday continued their round of meetings with cabinet ministers that they had begun last week in an effort to convince them to vote in favor of a deal for their son’s release. Officials at the campaign to free Gilad Shalit continue to maintain their media blackout.