One prisoner holding up Shalit release

GAZA, Nov. 23 (UPI) -- The only thing holding up a deal to swap abducted Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit is the status of one Palestinian prisoner, a Hamas publication says.

The Palestinian militant group's official journal A-Risala reported Monday the deal for Hamas to trade Shalit for as many as 450 Israeli-held Arab detainees is hinging on one unidentified prisoner's fate, the Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported.

The newspaper said unnamed Hamas sources told A-Risala significant progress has been made in the Shalit negotiations and claimed a deal could be expected by the middle of next week, assuming Israel agrees to the Palestinians' final terms.

Haaretz noted Hamas delegates were in Cairo Monday to discuss the final list of prisoners to be presented to Israel for an exchange in which Shalit would be freed after more than three years in captivity. The newspaper said its sources assert under the proposed deal, Hamas would hand Shalit over to Egypt while Israel would release some of the prisoners.

Hamas has reportedly agreed that some of the released Palestinians would go into exile rather than return to their West Bank or Gaza homes.