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Gaza: There has been a "a breakthrough" in talks on freeing an Israeli soldier being held captive by Palestinian militants in Gaza, the armed wing of Hamas said on Sunday, without going into further detail.
Spokesman Abu Ubaida said that although factions holding Corporal Gilad Shalit for over six months were not yet ready to free him, a deal could be close after what he described as a change in the Israeli position.
He said, "There is a breakthrough in this file and we hope it will be concluded very soon."
An official at Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's office declined to comment.
The armed factions, including Izz El Deen Al Qassam and the Popular Resistance Committees (PRC) have demanded that Israel free more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for Shalit, who was abducted in late June by gunmen who burrowed into southern Israel from the Gaza Strip.
The PRC said that Shalit might be handed to Egypt after Israel freed a first group of prisoners and kept there until another batch is released.
Spokesman Abu Mujahed said, "The swap depends on whether there is an Israeli intention to make it happen. If there is such an intention, it could happen very soon."
Olmert has said that Israel would be prepared to free Palestinians if Shalit is returned.
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