Hamas sets prisoner release conditions

JERUSALEM, Sept. 19 (UPI) -- A Hamas official said Friday that the Islamist militant group has three conditions Israel must meet to begin negotiations for an Israeli soldier's release.

The unidentified senior Hamas official said Israel must release a group of specific Palestinian prisoners, open the Rafah crossing to Egypt and honor its commitments outlined in the cease-fire agreement framework, Haaretz reported.

Israel already has a list of the prisoners to be released, thanks to Egypt's prior mediation in negotiations between the two sides, the official said.

The official also said negotiations for the release of Staff Sgt. Gilad Shalit, an Israeli soldier captured in June 2006, wouldn't being until Egypt releases all of its Palestinian prisoners.

"It doesn't make any sense that Egypt will moderate our prisoner exchange talks with Israel while it imprisons our members," the anonymous official said.

Israel, for its part in the negotiations, has created a list of 450 Palestinian prisoners the government is prepared to release to obtain Shalit's freedom, Ynetnews reported.