London-based newspaper Al-Hayat quoted a senior Hamas officialThursday as saying that the German mediator in the prisoner swap deal left the Gaza Strip Tuesday after a two-day visit.
The source told the newspaper that Gerhard Konard held intensive talks with Hamas senior officials and discussed new ideas to advance the deal to free kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit .He refused to elaborate on the ideas.
The source stressed that Hamas continues to demand that Israel release all prisoners it has asked for otherwise Shalit's release will not be made possible. He added that the decision to move forward with negotiations is entirely up to Israel.
"An agreement will only be signed when Israel shows serious willingness to do so," the Hamas official said. "We do not wish to keep Shalit but we will only agree to release him as part of an honorable prisoner swap deal."