Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas told Channel 1 on Thursday that a framework agreement has been reached on a prisoner swap involving captured Israel Defense Forces soldier Gilad Shalit.

Abbas said the sides still need to work out the details of the agreement. "We agreed recently on a framework with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to solve the problem of Shalit, in agreement with the Egyptians, and this process is happening quickly," Abbas said. "I hope his release will come quickly. I believe now it is accepted and everybody is working toward that."

Palestinian Information Minister Mustafa Barghouti, who is also the government's spokesman, was optimistic about Shalit's release. Barghouti, who met earlier this week with Haaretz journalists, said on Thursday that Hamas has put through a new initiative via Egypt, and that it depended on Israel's response. "If Israel accepts, I think it can be resolved," he said.

	Advertisement

Barghouti said he talked this week with Hamas' political bureau head, Khaled Meshal, and the Hamas leader informed him that preparations were underway for Shalit's release.

Barghouti added that the Palestinian government, Hamas ministers included, was committed to the creation of a Palestinian state which would coexist alongside Israel. "If only Israel would take the wax out of its ears, it could hear Meshal was calling for a two-state solution," he said.