Hamas: Israel balked at Shalit swap deal
Israel refuses to meet Hamas demands for Shalit, group leader Khaled Mashaal says Thursday; no swap will materialize until Israeli government agrees to Hamas conditions in full, he says
The leader of Hamas says Israel is refusing to meet its prisoner release demands for freeing an Israeli soldier it has held for three and a half years.
Khaled Mashaal stressed Thursday that there will be no deal until Israel agrees to the group's conditions in full.
He gave no details, but Israel has objected to freeing some of the hundreds of detainees Hamas wants released in return for the Israeli captive.
Earlier, the Islamist group said it was eager awaiting Israel's response to its offer and was prepared to go ahead with the deal if its demands are met.
"We would like to see the Palestinians celebrate the Muslim new year, which will be marked next week, with their families, but Israel will decide whether or not an agreement will be reached," one source said.
Shalit was captured in a 2006 cross-border raid by Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
There was optimism last month that a deal was eminent in negotiations brokered by Egypt and Germany. But since then, Hamas members have spoken of an Israeli refusal to hand over all the prisoners it wants freed.
