A deal brokered by Germany to free captive Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit is apparently “close to collapse,” according to German magazine Der Spiegel. The magazine says its sources have confirmed that Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu was “shocked by the scope of concessions” agreed to by his representative to the talks, Haggai Hadas, and subsequently withdrew his support for the deal.

The newest offer from Israel rejects many Hamas demands, including the release of the more notorious and well terrorists, and the Germans now believe that the terrorists will reject the Israeli offer. Referring to negotiators from Germany's foreign intelligence office, the Bundesnachtrichtendienst (BND), the magazine says, “The back and forth on the prisoner swap has dealt a blow to the BND's reputation.”

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