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Occupied Jerusalem: An Israeli envoy negotiating the release of an Israeli soldier held by Hamas has met twice in recent weeks with senior Hamas members in an Israeli jail, reporting progress on a prisoner swap deal, according to a lawyer close to the talks.
The envoy, Ofer Dekel, met 10 days ago with five members of the Hamas military wing at Hadarim Prison near the northern Israeli town of Netanya, said the lawyer, who represents another inmate and spoke on condition of anonymity.
Miri Eisin, a spokeswoman for Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, declined comment. Dekel told the Hamas inmates that progress has been made on a deal to win the release of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, who was captured by Hamas-allied militants in June 2006 and is being held in Gaza, the lawyer said.
In exchange, Hamas seeks the release of several hundred prisoners, but Israel has balked at meeting the demands.
Meanwhile, about 100 Palestinians stuck in Egypt for nearly three weeks have gone on hunger strike to pressure the authorities to open the Rafah frontier post so they can return to the Gaza Strip.
Reports said the Palestinians included women and children who were caught when the border was closed after Hamas ousted Fatah from Gaza on June 15.
Hunger strike
"We have gone on hunger strike to get the Rafah terminal opened and to protest against the makeshift nature of our accommodation," their spokesman, who asked to be known only by Mohammad.
"This makes 20 days that we have been piled up in a miniscule room at Al Arish airport [near Rafah] where we are sleeping on the ground," Mohammad said late on Thursday. He said a humanitarian organisation had been providing them with one meal each day.
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