Report: Hamas given days to respond to new Shalit offer

A German mediator in negotiations to secure the release of captured Israel Defense Forces soldier Gilad Shalit has presented Hamas with a new Israeli offer for a prisoner exchange, the Germany weekly Der Spiegel reported Saturday.

According to Der Spiegel, Hamas has until the first of September to respond to the offer.

According to the report, the new offer includes the release of 450 Hamas prisoners in exchange for Shalit's release. That clause is identical to one presented when Ehud Olmert was prime minister.

The mediator also included another clause in which Israel would release several hundred more Palestinian prisoners at a later date, without a direct connection to the proposed prisoner exchange. That clause is similar to one that was included in Israel's deal with Hezbollah in 2008 in which the bodies of IDF soldiers Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev were brought back to Israel.

The report added that the release of the extra Palestinian prisoners would not be subject to a timetable, and would take place at a date chosen by Israel.

According to Der Spiegel, the German official began his role as a mediator in the negotiations in mid-July, following a request by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Shalit has been held by Hamas since being captured in June 2006 in a cross-border raid from the Gaza Strip.

On Friday, London-based Arabic language newspaper al-Hayat reported that Hamas politburo chief Khaled Meshal is expected to arrive in Cairo next week to take part in negotiations.