Egyptian mediators trying to arrange an Israel-Hamas prisoner swap are to come to Israel for talks this week, a senior Israeli Defense Ministry official said Saturday. «The Egyptians, and this was already published, plan to come this week,» the official, Amos Gilad, told Israel Radio, when asked about a report that Egyptian intelligence chief Omar Suleiman is to arrive in Tel Aviv on Sunday. «I hadn't heard that he (Suleiman) would come on Sunday,» Gilad added. Hamas demands the release of more than 1,000 prisoners for Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, captured by Hamas-allied fighters in June and held since then in the Gaza Strip. The top Hamas leader, Khaled Mashaal, is currently in Cairo for talks on the prisoner swap, the Associated Press reported. Gilad said a Suleiman trip to Israel could signal progress. «It is clear that the arrival of Omar Suleiman would be linked to achievements in negotiations they are conducting with Hamas, with the Palestinians, with Abu Mazen,» he said, referring to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. «They would like to stabilize the situation in Gaza.»
