JURIST - Paper Chase: Israel-Hamas prisoner exchange agreement stalled: report

[JURIST] A tentative agreement between the Israeli government and Hamas [BBC backgrounder] for the release of captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit [Times backgrounder; JURIST news archive] has been hindered by disagreements over the identity of the Palestinian prisoners to be released in exchange for Shalit, Israeli Army Radio reported Monday. Hamas is demanding the release of 350 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. Israel has tentatively agreed to release 230 requested prisoners [JURIST report] but disagreements still remain about the other 120.

Last April, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert [BBC profile] rejected a demand by Palestinian militants to free hundreds of prisoners [JURIST report] in exchange for Shalit. Israel detained about 30 Palestinian lawmakers [JURIST report], including a third of the Hamas Palestinian cabinet, following the June 2006 capture of Shalit by Hamas. AFP has more.

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