Israel-Hamas Prisoner Swap Predicted in Near Future

JERUSALEM, Nov. 23, 2009 — -- Negotiators have made significant progress in recent days toward a deal that would free Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit in return for 450 Palestinian prisoners that include senior militants and leading political figures, according to high-ranking sources from both sides.

For Israelis, such a deal would be a high price to pay for the freedom of one young soldier. For Hamas, the deal would be a significant political victory.

Shalit, 23, was taken by Hamas in a cross-border raid in 2006. He has been held in Gaza ever since. In that time, the only thing his captors have given his family are some letters, an audio tape and a video.

His family members have led an international campaign to win his freedom. There is widespread support for his release in Israel because almost every Israeli serves in the army doing compulsory service, as Shalit was on the day he was taken.

Hamas is demanding the release of senior members of different Palestinian factions held in Israeli jails. They include men responsible for planning numerous attacks against Israel and the deaths of hundreds of Israelis.

Israeli President Shimon Peres met Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in Cairo Sunday and said "there is progress on the matter but it should be left for discussions behind the scenes."

Osama Hamdan, a senior Hamas member in Beirut added, "we are serious in our intention but it is clear it will not be possible to reach a happy ending as long as the enemy prime minister [Benjamin Netanyahu] has not met our demands and our terms."

A Hamas delegation from Gaza and Damascus is due in Cairo today to review final changes to the list of Palestinian prisoners. If the names on the list are approved, the deal could move forward quickly, perhaps by the end of the week, the sources said.

Some of the released prisoners would be sent to Gaza or third countries to minimize their influence on Palestinian politics.