Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak has ordered to stop the transfer of the bodies of 84 Palestinian militants to the Palestinian Authority at the last minute yesterday, despite earlier confirmation that the transfer would go through. According to Israeli media Haaretz, the defence minister explained his decision, saying it was important to weigh the repercussions of such a transfer on a future Shalit deal. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has recently approved that 84 bodies of Palestinian terrorists buried in Israel will be transferred to the Palestinian Authority. Israel has thus far refused to hand over the bodies, since they were being held as a bargaining chip for a future deal on captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit.