Did top Hamas officials discuss the Shalit deal with Nasrallah?

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah on Wednesday met in Lebanon with officials from Hamas' political bureau, with whom he discussed the two Iran-backed militant groups' relations and U.S. policy in the Middle East.

Hezbollah's Al-Manar television network, which reported the meeting, made no mention of negotiations between Hamas and Israel over the release of abducted Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit. But Israel's Channel 10 TV said it was believed that the parties did in fact discuss the developing deal for Shalit.

In July 2008, Israel and Hezbollah carried out a prisoner exchange, during which the Iran-backed militant group handed over the bodies of two Israeli soldiers it had kidnapped in return for convicted Lebanese murderer Samir Kuntar and four Hezbollah militants.

According to TV network, Hamas' most senior foreign affairs official, Osama Hamdan, participated in the meeting. Senior Hamas representatives Mohammed Nasser and Mounir Said also reportedly took part in the talks.

Citing a statement released by Hezbollah, Al-Manar said: "The meeting was an opportunity to review the international and regional situation in light of the confusion the U.S. administration is experiencing in its approach to the crises arising from its aggressive policies in our Arab and Islamic region, particularly its blatant bias and full coverage of the Israeli stances and practices against the Palestinian people, their rights and interests."

The network said both sides also expressed satisfaction with the formation of Lebanon's new government, in which Hezbollah is a partner, and stressed the importance of renewing a Lebanese-Palestinian dialogue.