Deputy Prime Minister Silvan Shalom said Monday that Israel would not release Tanzim terrorist Marwan Barghouti or the leader of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, Ahmed Saadat, in a deal for kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit.
Palestinian sources and family members had told Ynet earlier that Barghouti and Saadat would be exchanged for the captive soldier.
Shalom added that any deal concocted for Shalit's release would have to be presented to the public, the Knesset, and cabinet before it could be approved.
The minister also met with British Foreign Minister David Miliband and asked for Britain's aid in the efforts to release the kidnapped soldier from Hamas' grip.
Miliband said he appreciated Israel's desire to do everything to release Shalit.
The two also spoke of the stalled Israeli-Palestinian peace process and Shalom said that Israel was interested in resuming negotiations right away, but that the freezing of settlement construction had never been a precondition for negotiations.
"There is no reason this should present an obstacle now," Shalom said. Miliband suggested that a specific schedule for negotiations set by Israel may encourage the Palestinians to resume talks.
Attila Somfalvi contributed to this report