Reports say Palestinians, Israel near prisoner deal

JERUSALEM – A Hamas official claimed progress in contacts for a deal to free a captured Israeli soldier while news reports Sunday said Israel would release about 450 Palestinian prisoners. But both sides said nothing was final.

Hamas-linked gunmen captured Cpl. Gilad Shalit in a cross-border raid on an Israeli army post on June 25. Two other soldiers were killed.

The raid set off five months of violence in Gaza, and with the soldier in captivity, Israel has refused to discuss other issues with the Palestinians.

Israeli media said in the first stage of prisoner releases Hamas would provide a video recording showing that the soldier is alive – the first such indication since the capture – and Israel would free a small number of prisoners.

Then, according to the reports, Israel would release 450 prisoners in exchange for the soldier, who would be handed over to Egyptian officials and transferred to Israel. Egypt has been mediating between Israel and Hamas.

A main sticking point would be the reported Hamas insistence on picking the prisoners to be freed, among some 8,000 held by Israel. With few exceptions, Israel has refused to free Palestinians who played active parts in attacks that killed Israelis.

On Sunday evening, the Palestinian Ramattan news agency reported that the deal would be announced at a Thursday summit between Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. But Israeli and Palestinian officials cast doubt on the prospects.

Hamas spokesman Ismail Radwan told Associated Press Television there has been progress in the contacts.

“We expect a declaration of a complete deal of releasing Palestinian prisoners for the imprisoned Zionist soldier soon. But this all depends on the Israeli side,” he said.

However, Israeli officials denied that there was significant progress. They also said no videotape of the soldier has been delivered. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the subject.