A senior leader of the Palestinian Islamic Hamas movement said Thursday that Hamas has not accepted Israel's offer, but the door for completing a prisoner swap deal "has not been closed."
In recent weeks, Israel has reportedly been close to reaching a deal with Hamas that would see the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for Israel Defense Forces soldier Gilad Shalit, who was captured by Gaza militants in June, 2006.
Mahmoud Zahar, a member of Hamas politburo, spoke to reporters Thursday as a Hamas delegation crossed into the Gaza Strip from Egypt through the Rafah border crossing, saying that the indirect talks on the prisoner exchange deal were not over.
"Hamas didn't close the door for Shalit's deal," Zahar told reporters. "Debates and discussions are still going on in Hamas although we have some reservations on the recent Israeli offer."
Hamas movement's leadership held two-day intensive talks in Damascus to discuss the latest Israeli offer surrounding the deal. Israel is reportedly still refusing to release 22 Palestinian prisoners involved in some of the worst terror attacks, including Tanzim leader Marwan Barghouti, secretary general of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, Ahmed Sa'adat, and two of the heads of Hamas' military wing in the West Bank, Ibrahim Hamad and Abdullah Barghouti, who are responsible for the murders of dozens of Israelis in suicide bombings.
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