By KUNA
Ramallah : Israel and Palestinian Hamas Movement has reached an initial agreement on a prisoner swap, Israeli mass media claimed on Saturday.
Under the deal, Israel will release 450 Palestinian prisoners while Hamas will free Israeli corporate Gilad Shalit, who has been held by Palestinian factions in Gaza since June 25, 2006.
Israeli-Palestinian calmness last week could boost hopes for putting the prisoner exchange deal in place in light of Egyptian and US mediatory efforts aiming to reach a bilateral ceasefire, Israeli media said.
It was an Israeli idea to link the prisoner swap process and a bilateral truce, they said, adding that Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert was advised to seek to have Shalit freed as soon as possible.
Hamas demands Israel to release a large number of Palestinian prisoners in stages provided that the first stage should include 450 prisoners, including women and children.
Israel holds some 11,000 Palestinian prisoners in its jails.