JERUSALEM, Oct. 27 (UPI) -- Hamas Friday awaited a response from Israel to its latest offer regarding the release of a captured Israeli soldier.
The deal, revealed by the London-based Al-Hayat newspaper, backs off Hamas' earlier demands for Palestinian security prisoners to be immediately released from Israel, the Jerusalem Post reported Friday. The deal would instead allow for a two-month wait after the release of Israeli Defense Forces Cpl. Gilad Shalit before the freeing of some 1,000 Palestinian prisoners.
Israel is expected to respond to Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal next week when he meets with Egyptian intelligence chief Omar Suleiman in Cairo.
Binyamin Ben-Eliezer, Israel's national infrastructure minister, said he believes Israel should accept the deal.
"I want to be very careful what I say, but, I knew about the meeting (between Mashaal and Suleiman) and my feeling is that Egypt has done everything, is doing everything and will do everything in the future to aid Shalit's release," Ben-Eliezer said.
