GAZA CITY/RAMALLAH, 9 April 2007 — Israel is looking into a list of prisoners the Palestinians want freed in exchange for captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, Palestinians and Israelis said. The list includes men who Israel says have “blood on their hands.”

Palestinian government spokesman Ghazi Hamad said the sides had reached an understanding over the numbers and the types of Palestinian prisoners to be released by Israel.

Palestinians involved in the negotiations said that Israel had agreed to release prisoners “with blood on their hands,” as well as veteran prisoners whose sentences began before the signing of the 1993 the Oslo peace accords, and political leaders such as Marwan Barghouti.

“There is perhaps a decision in principle between the sides on the numbers and on the types of prisoners” to be released, Hamad told Army Radio yesterday. “I think that the big fight is over names,” Hamad said.

A Palestinian source, however, said a prisoner swap deal is still far away and negotiations are taking place under the mediation of Egyptian Intelligence Minister Omar Suleiman.

Asked how long the negotiations could last, Hamad said: “It depends on the Israeli side. If they say that they accept the Palestinian list, we could reach an agreement within a week.”

An Israeli ministerial committee will meet this week to fix a criterion for the release of the Palestinian prisoners, Israel Radio reported.

Israeli Social Affairs Minister Yitzhak Herzog, who is a member of the security Cabinet, said the committee will try to be flexible while determining which of the Palestinian prisoners have “blood on their hands.”

“Regarding the negotiations, I think we should use original thinking. I understand there has been progress compared to what we have seen until now. Nevertheless, I would refrain from celebrating just yet,” Herzog said.

Palestinian sources said prisoners on the list included Yehya Al-Senwar of Hamas, Mohammed Shratha leader of a resistance group who abducted two Israeli soldiers and killed them in Gaza in 1998, Eid Muslih and Naser Dwidar who were arrested in 1992, Mohamed Dokhan, son of Hamas leader Abd Al-Fatah Dokhan, Hazem Al-Aydi who was arrested in 1991 and sentenced to life in prison, Jamal Akl and Ahmed Abu Al-Kas.

The sources said the prisoner swap deal will include children and women and leaders from different Palestinian factions including Marwan Barghouti of Fatah, Ahmed Saadat, secretary-general of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), and Hamas deputies and ministers who were detained after the capture of Shalit. The sources said the list includes names of 1,300 prisoners. The release of Gilad Shalit is a precondition for any possible progress in Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts. A swap could also help the new Palestinian unity government, a coalition of Hamas and the Fatah movement, in its quest for international acceptance.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas predicted last week that Shalit would be freed soon. Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh has said he would like to see the issue resolved quickly, though he says he has no control over the captors.

— Additional input from agencies