(JTA) — Hamas officials reportedly are traveling to Syria to discuss a deal to free Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit.
Israeli media on Friday quoted the London-based Arabic language newspaper al-Hayat as saying that leaders of the group based in Gaza, where Hamas is in control and Shalit is held, will travel to Damascus on Sunday to present to the exiled leadership new proposals from Germany for a prisoner exchange.
Past deals brokered by Germany have foundered over Hamas’ insistence on Israel releasing terrorists involved in fatal attacks.
The officials told al-Hayat that they will respond to the latest German proposal after the meetings. They did not outline the proposal, and there was no sign what Israel’s position was on the latest ideas.
Hamas-backed gunmen kidnapped Shalit in a cross-border raid in June 2006.
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