Hamas rejects family contact with Shalit

GAZA, June 20 (UPI) -- The Ministry of Prisoners in Gaza rejected a request Friday by the International Red Cross to allow Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit contact with his family.

The Hamas government in Gaza has rejected similar requests in the past, Ma'an News Agency reported. The ministry in a statement to Ma'an compared Shalit's situation to that of Gazans held by Israel.

"Gaza prisoners have been continuously deprived family visits for more than two years, which has negatively affected their living and psychological situation," the government said.

Shalit has been held since 2006. Hamas, the de facto government in Gaza, is expected to demand the exchange of hundreds of Palestinians for his release, the report said.

The ministry accused the International Committee of the Red Cross and other international agencies of having a double standard for captured Israelis and Palestinians.