Hamas officials tell Arab press: Shalit deal is imminent

Khaled Meshal, the Damascus-based head of the Hamas political bureau, told an Egyptian newspaper earlier this week that his organization's transfer of a videotape showing captive Israel Defense Forces soldier Gilad Shalit in exchange for the release of 20 female Palestinian prisoners is an indication that a comprehensive prisoner swap is in the offing.

According to Israel Radio, Meshal told the Egyptian daily Al-Ahram that the Israeli government under the stewardship of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has dealt seriously with the Shalit matter.

The Islamist group is holding Shalit captive in hopes of using the soldier as a bargaining chip to win the release of hundreds of Palestinians who have been incarcerated in Israeli prisons for various security-related offenses.

Netanyahu's predecessor, Ehud Olmert, balked at Hamas' demand to release hundreds of prisoners "with blood on their hands," namely Palestinians who were involved in the planning of deadly suicide bombings in the heart of Israeli towns and cities.

Israel Radio reported that the Al-Ahram journalist interviewed Meshal earlier this week, prior to public knowledge of the videotape-for-female-prisoners swap. The contents of the interview were published by the newspaper on Saturday, according to Israel Radio.

Another senior Hamas official in Damascus told a Qatari newspaper, Al-Arab, that a prisoner swap involving Shalit will be consummated "soon."

According to Israel Radio, the official told Al-Arab that Israel will release 1,000 Palestinian prisoners - 550 of whom are affiliated with Hamas while the remainder belong to various Palestinian factions.

Nonetheless, Hamas vowed that it would continue its efforts to try and abduct Israeli soldiers in order to free more Palestinian prisoners.

"We will continue our efforts to kidnap soldiers in order to free every one of our prisoners in Israel," Meshal said in Damascus on Friday, hours after Israel received the video of Shalit from Hamas.

Meshal, whose statements came during a speech in Damascus, added "I say to Netanyahu and to the leaders of the enemy, we understand the language that you understand...We in Hamas managed to take Shalit captive and hold him for more than three years and use him as in order to mount comprehensive negotiations for the release of prisoners."

Meshal then warned, "We can take another Shalit captive, and another Shalit, and another Shalit."

Gilad Shalit's father, Noam Shalit, told reporters Friday that Israel must continue efforts to free his son and must remember that he is suffering in the hands of his captors.

"In spite of our impression that he [Gilad] is in relatively good condition, we cannot forget that he is suffering and rotting in Hamas prison nearly 1,200 long days and nights."

Shalit's comments came hours after he viewed a video made weeks ago in which Shalit is seen alive and well in Hamas captivity in Gaza.

Shalit added that his family "expects this ordeal to end and for Gilad to return home very soon."

Shalit also thanked German negotiators who helped secure the release of the tape, which Hamas handed over to Israel in exchange for the release of 20 female Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.