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Last update - 10:20 09/04/2007
PA: Talks over Shalit swap have taken 'big step' forward
By Amos Harel, Amiram Barkat and Jack Khoury and Haaretz Service

Palestinian Authority cabinet spokesman Ghazi Hamad said that talks toward a prisoner exchange to free captive Israel Defense Forces soldier Gilad Shalit had taken a "big step" forward in recent days, and that the sides had reached an understanding over the numbers and the types of Palestinian prisoners to be released by Israel.

Palestinians involved in the negotiations have said that Israel has agreed to release prisoners "with blood on their hands," as well as veteran prisoners whose sentences began before 1993 signing of the Oslo peace accords, and political leaders such as Marwan Barghouti.

"There is perhaps a decision in principle between the Palestinian side, or between the Egyptian side, and the Israeli side, on the numbers and on the types of prisoners" to be released, Hamed told Army Radio.

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Cairo has acted as a mediator in the prolonged negotiations for the release of Shalit, held since last June, when a joint force of Hamas and other armed groups attacked Shalit's base on Israeli soil just outside the Gaza Strip.

"I think that the big fight is over names," Hamad said. In a separate interview, he told Israel Radio that Israeli officials had been given a list of names of prisoners the Palestinians want to see released. Asked how long the negotiations could last, Hamad said, "It depends on the Israeli side. If they say that they accept the Palestinian list, we could reach an agreement within a week."

Israeli officials have confirmed that progress has been reached in negotiations to bring about Shalit's release, but cautioned that the path to resolving the negotiations was still long.

Israeli media reports have said that Hamas has demanded that the deal include Fatah leader Barghouti, sentenced to five life sentences for involvement in terror attacks against Israelis, and Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine leader Ahmed Saadat, who ordered the 2001 assassination of Israeli cabinet minister Rehavam Ze'evi.

Palestinian sources said the deal would proceed in three steps:

  • Transfer of Shalit to Egyptian authorities, in exchange for freeing an initial group of minor and ailing prisoners.

  • Transfer of Shalit to Israel and the release of a further group of Palestinian prisoners.

  • After a few months - an additional prisoner release, including leading Palestinian political figures. According to the sources, "There will be no deal without Marwan Barghouti."

    Security sources Saturday night had confirmed that "certain progress" was made in the efforts to free Shalit. The same sources noted that there were many complex obstacles in the way to completing the deal with Shalit's kidnappers and warned that the process may take time.

    "Indeed, a certain progress has been made, but there is still a long way [to Shalit's release]," sources in Jerusalem said.

    The sources also warned reporters that "you should not rely on reports originating among Palestinians because they may create unrealistic expectations."

    An Israeli source involved with the negotiations on Saturday confirmed that a list with the names of prisoners Hamas wishes to see released has reached Israel. Hamas presented the list in recent days, but the problem is that Israel finds some of the names on the list unacceptable.

    Israel will agree to the release of some prisoners "with bloodied hands" (those who have participated in attacks in which Israelis were killed), but not necessarily to the senior figures Hamas is demanding.

    A likely problem that could have a negative effect on the negotiations revolves around the friction between Hamas' political and military wings in the Gaza Strip.

    The head of the military wing in the northern Gaza Strip, Ahmed Ja'abari, is responsible for a number of attacks and attempts along the border fence in recent weeks. In practice the meaning of these attacks is that the military wing of Hamas has ceased to abide by the cease-fire, and this may result in a further escalation with Israel in the near future.

    It has also emerged in recent days that Fatah-affiliated security organizations have learned where the abducted BBC correspondent, Alan Johnson, is being held, but have avoided rescuing him out of fear that the operation will result in heavy casualties. His captors, according to the same sources, are members of the Darmush clan.

    Meanwhile, an Israeli Arab, Jihad Ziara, was abducted on Friday in the Gaza Strip. Ziara, originally from the Gaza Strip, was visiting his first wife when gunmen kidnapped him.

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      1.   Terrorists with Jewish blood on their hands 03:13  |  Connie 08/04/07
      2.   A NO BRAINER 03:27  |  Brant 08/04/07
      3.   What with the IDF soldiers with palestinian children blood? 03:43  |  Ivan 08/04/07
      4.   This swap goes against what Shalit was fighting for! 04:25  |  Jared (Yered Shmuel) 08/04/07
      5.   The Truth 04:29  |  josh 08/04/07
      6.   Ivan 04:40  |  Connie 08/04/07
      7.   #3 Ivan 05:09  |  * BEN JABO 08/04/07
      8.   Trade Noam, Olmert, livni, peretz and all the lefties for Shalit 06:20  |  Shiloh 08/04/07
      9.   To #3 06:29  |  Shmuelshachor 08/04/07
      10.   Terrorists with Palestinian blood on their hands 06:37  |  Palestinian 08/04/07
      11.   #7 BEN 06:38  |  jake 08/04/07
      12.   Jewish terrorists 06:38  |  Israeli 08/04/07
      13.   connie the settler: they are not soldiers, they are 06:41  |  Honest human being 08/04/07
      14.   #6 Connie 06:42  |  tad 08/04/07
      15.   to #12 07:51  |  vik 08/04/07
      16.   Honest Human Being 08:04  |  Connie 08/04/07
      17.   Tad 08:14  |  Connie 08/04/07
      18.   connie, the fanatical settler 08:42  |  Honest human being 08/04/07
      19.   Death penalty? 08:44  |  Nechama 08/04/07
      20.   Both Israel and US are terrorist 08:46  |  Israeli 08/04/07
      21.   # 1/ # 3 / # 7 / # 9 Stop fighting, both sides have.... 09:04  |  Swiss (Dino) 08/04/07
      22.   Connie, I need your help 09:11  |  Isdodi 08/04/07
      23.   #17 Connie 09:12  |  Moury 08/04/07
      24.   Jewish Terror and Scare Tactics must End 09:27  |  Khalil 08/04/07
      25.   Isodi 09:43  |  Connie 08/04/07
      26.   Moury 09:55  |  Connie 08/04/07
      27.   Human being,maybe 10:01  |  Connie 08/04/07
      28.   Fatah Leader(Sic) Bargouti 10:07  |  Nora 08/04/07
      29.   Another Olmert/Livni SURRENDER 10:08  |  Dr. Dave 08/04/07
      30.   PA hints sides agree on numbers in Shalit swap 10:08  |  Phil Goldstein 08/04/07
      31.   Palestinian 10:10  |  Medo 08/04/07
      32.   #22 Your mom lied to you 10:17  |  Yosef 08/04/07
      33.   GPS tracking 10:34  |  yoni 08/04/07
      34.   #22 Isdodi, I don`t think so 10:46  |  Jonathan 08/04/07
      35.   Free discussion 11:00  |  Berg 08/04/07
      36.   We are better off trying to rescue Gilad 11:18  |  Gili 08/04/07
      37.   Way to go Ehud & the Kadimas 11:31  |  Michael 08/04/07
      38.   Israel did wrong.. 11:37  |  Onur from Turkey 08/04/07
      39.   What a shameful act on the part of the PA!!! At first they 11:48  |  Petra 08/04/07
      40.   Hurry release-Pals need their top terros for the coming war 11:52  |  Alan Sa 08/04/07
      41.   A lot can change in 6 months. 12:14  |  Paulo 08/04/07
      42.   Marwan Barghouti`s release 13:01  |  Josh 08/04/07
      43.   get rid of mass murderers, not let them kill us 13:05  |  sam 08/04/07
      44.   Paulo - Why do you care about Olmert if you don`t 13:41  |  Beyamin 08/04/07
      45.   Is Shallit a BOW or civilian taken hostage? 14:46  |  John 08/04/07
      46.   Ismail not Ivan 15:12  |  Nerys 08/04/07
      47.   These Trades Are Insane 15:13  |  Dyinglikeflies 08/04/07
      48.   who cares for what u think, murderer 16:05  |  arab 08/04/07
      49.   who cares for what u think, murderer 16:06  |  arab 08/04/07
      50.   PA`s BIG STEPS 16:09  |  Mary 08/04/07
      51.   they cannot even prove he is alive or deliver. 1 for 1and if dead 16:23  |  ralph 08/04/07
      52.   Prisoners deal and good PR 16:51  |  Twogunz 08/04/07
      53.   Jake # 11 16:54  |  Twogunz 08/04/07
      54.   Isdodi 22` 17:00  |  Twogunz 08/04/07
      55.   Palestinian Prisoners 17:01  |  Atilla Karagozoglu 08/04/07
      56.   Accurate Chronology 17:03  |  Double Click 08/04/07
      57.   Kahlil # 24 17:04  |  Twogunz 08/04/07
      58.   "ISRAELI"why not give the other aliases you use here 17:16  |  PETERSM 08/04/07
      59.   # 21 Swiss Dino 17:17  |  Jim 08/04/07
      60.   This is ONE MAN SHOW ! 17:19  |  Atilla Karagozoglu 08/04/07
      61.   # 31 17:26  |  Jim 08/04/07
      62.   Jews problem is HAUGHTINESS (arrogance) 17:32  |  Atilla Karagozoglu 08/04/07
      63.   A lot can change, writes Paulo, who wishes that 17:32  |  Beyamin 08/04/07
      64.   Jews work great but lose as stupid 17:37  |  Atilla Karagozoglu 08/04/07
      65.   #53 Twogunz 17:41  |  jake 08/04/07
      66.   # 22 17:44  |  Jim 08/04/07
      67.   # 56 only one thing wrong (everything) 17:48  |  ChanahS 08/04/07
      68.   #11 jake - you`ve missed the point. 17:52  |  * BEN JABO 08/04/07
      69.   If Jews lose with Israel 17:53  |  Atilla Karagozoglu 08/04/07
      70.   #13 Honest Human Being - not really-read on: 18:00  |  * BEN JABO 08/04/07
      71.   Connie Knows the gig is up but 18:03  |  Labhras 08/04/07
      72.   #45 John UK 18:05  |  * BEN JABO 08/04/07
      73.   EVERY BODY HAS BLOOD ON THEIR HANDS!!! 18:09  |  ABU ALI 08/04/07
      74.   # 59 Jim 18:28  |  Swiss (Dino) 08/04/07
      75.   # 65 Chanah S 18:56  |  Swiss (Dino) 08/04/07
      76.   WORLD PROBLEMS OVER? Time for Israel to go for ever. 18:58  |  Proud Canadian 08/04/07
      77.   Atilla is cool 19:12  |  Dyinglikeflies 08/04/07
      78.   Proud Canadian, Land Thief 19:44  |  Dyinglikeflies 08/04/07
      79.   Proud Arab posing as a Canadian 19:55  |  Larry 08/04/07
      80.   tad #14 19:57  |  GABE1 08/04/07
      81.   55 AtiLLa 20:03  |  Nerys 08/04/07
      82.   If you don`t like what I say... 20:15  |  Reader 08/04/07
      83.   Proud Canadian 20:28  |  rich 08/04/07
      84.   Shalit kidnapped for Israeli breach of the cease fire 20:31  |  Tosefta 08/04/07
      85. &