Prisoners' swap deal would be more than humanitarian process

A senior Palestinian official said on Monday the prospective exchange of Palestinian prisoners for an Israeli soldier would be more than a humanitarian process.

Minister of Prisoners' Affairs in the Hamas-led government, Wasfi Qabha, added the swap will include solution to the issue of Palestinian tax revenues withheld by Israel since Hamas swept into power last March.

Palestinian militant groups captured Israeli Corporal Gilad Shalit in a cross-border raid last June, sparking Israeli retaliatory offensive that killed more than 300 Palestinians in Gaza Strip.

Qabha pointed out that a truce with Israel and improving security and economical conditions were being discussed in the same context.

The Palestinian prisoners held in Israel demanded to be released according to general criteria in the swap without specifying names, Qabha said.

The captors of Gilad Shalit call for releasing about 1,700 prisoners out of more than 10,000 detainees who are staying in Israeli custodies. They insist women, children and old prisoners be among those set to release under the swap.

The minister clarified that negotiations should focus on releasing 367 prisoners held ahead of signing Oslo peace accords in 1993, 120 women, 300 children and more than 1,000 patients.

Source: Xinhua