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Hamas, Israel confirm prisoner swap deal

11 October 2011 22:58 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. Both the Islamic Hamas Movement and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed Tuesday night the prisoner swap deal under which Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit held captive in Gaza would be freed in exchange for the release of 1,000 Palestinians jailed in Israel, APA reports quoting Xinhua.

Izzeldein al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas’ armed wing in the Gaza Strip, said on its website that "an honorable deal had been reached and will be implemented within the coming few days."

"The deal was reached in accordance to criteria that had been agreed upon for the first time in the history of prisoner swap deals," said the armed group.

Hamas militants and two other minor militant groups, the Popular Resistance Committees and the Army of Islam, abducted the 22-year-old Shalit in a cross-border raid on an Israeli army base southeast of the Gaza Strip in June 2006.

Shalit’s captors demanded the release of 1,000 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, including 450 prisoners who have spent more than 25 years behind the bars in Israeli jails. Germany and Egypt have been mediating a deal between Hamas and Israel.

Khaled Meshaal, head of Hamas’ politburo in Damascus, is expected to give a speech Tuesday night on the prisoner swap deal, well-informed Hamas sources said.

The Dubai-based Al Arabiya television channel reported on Tuesday night that an agreement, mediated by Egypt, has been reached between Hamas and Israel on releasing Shalit.

Mahmoud al-Zahar, a senior Hamas leader currently in Cairo, told Xinhua by phone that he doesn’t want to comment on media reports, saying "In case there is an agreement, Hamas will certainly declare it."

Meanwhile, a source close to the Israeli government confirmed that the Israeli cabinet held a meeting last night till 5 a.m. ( 0300 GMT) discussing the prisoner swap deal.

"Since Shalit has not arrived here, Israel can not say the deal has been done," the source added.

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu held an urgent cabinet session Tuesday evening, during which he explained to cabinet members details of the deal.

Netanyahu told reporters after the meeting that he has presented the deal to his cabinet and most of his cabinet members have voiced support for it.

He said his cabinet is still discussing the deal and Gilad Shalit will be "coming home" in a few days.

Netanyahu said he would stand true to his promise to bring Schalit home to his parents and grandparents.