Israeli online daily Haaretz reported on Thursday that Hamas fighters
holding an Israeli soldier captive since June 25 said that they are
ready to give Israel a video tape of the soldier if Israel agrees to
release Palestinian female detainees and other number of detainees.
Earlier this week, Haaretz reported that Hamas has a video proving the Shalit is alive; the video will be the first proof from Hamas that the soldier is alive.
Meanwhile, Mousa Abu Marzouk, deputy of Hamas’ political bureau chief in Syria, said that Shalit is Alive. Khalid Mashal is the head of Hamas’ political bureau in exile.
The movement said that it is willing to trade the tape for the freedom of women and a number of detainees held by Israel. Hamas did not set a number of detainees who should be freed for the release of the tape.
Egypt has been the mediator between Hamas and Israel in prisoner-swap talks.
Israeli Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert, and the Egyptian President, Hosni Mubarak, met on Thursday at the Egyptian resort of Sharm Al Sheikh for talks over a prisoner swap deal and initiatives for restoring the slated peace process.
Yet, Egypt’s Foreign Minister, Ahmad Abu Al Gheit, told Reuters that there is no development on the prisoner swap issue, adding that Israel is offering a deal with the Palestinians, but they [the Palestinians] still have to decide.
Speaking in Gaza, Palestinian Prime Minister, Ismail Haniyya, said that there is a substantial progress in prisoner swap talks.
Haniyya added that Israel now agreed to a simultaneous prisoner swap, but still refuse to talk about the number of detainees who will be freed.
The Palestinians demands that all women and child detainees, in addition to the detainees who are sentenced to extended periods and life terms should be freed in the swap deal.
