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Israeli's captors seek prisoner swap

By ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published April 8, 2007

RAMALLAH, West Bank - After months of deadlock, the captors of an Israeli soldier handed over the names of Palestinian prisoners they want freed in exchange for the hostage, a senior Palestinian official said Saturday.

The release of Israeli Cpl. Gilad Shalit is seen as a precondition for any possible progress in Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts. A swap could also help the new Palestinian unity government, a coalition of the Islamic militant Hamas and the moderate Fatah movement, in its quest for international acceptance.

Palestinian Information Minister Mustafa Barghouti did not say how many names were on the kidnappers' list, which he said was forwarded to Israel by Egyptian mediators. Barghouti said the next move is up to Israel.

Israel declined formal comment, although Israeli media cited unidentified officials as saying there had been some progress, but that resolution was still not assured.

Shalit was captured 10 months ago by Hamas-allied militants who tunneled under the Gaza-Israel border and attacked an army post in Israel.

His captors initially demanded the release of 1,400 Palestinian prisoners, including women, minors and dozens of the longest-serving inmates. In all, some 9,300 Palestinian security prisoners are being held by Israel, one of the highest totals in 40 years of military occupation.

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has said he is willing to release prisoners, but the swap has been held up by disagreement over who should be freed.

Also Saturday, an Israeli airstrike in Gaza killed a Palestinian militant and wounded two. The Israeli military said it launched the strike after spotting the militants trying to plant a bomb. It said militants planted explosives in the same area two days earlier.

Palestinian officials said fighting erupted before dawn when plainclothes Israeli special forces slipped across the fence and were discovered by fighters from militant groups that refuse to honor a Nov. 26 cease-fire.

[Last modified April 8, 2007, 01:14:49]