JERUSALEM, Feb. 24 (Xinhua) -- Israel has confirmed "significant" progress
in negotiations for the release of abducted soldier Gilad Shalit, the Jerusalem
Post reported on its website Saturday evening.
According to the report, a compromise regarding the number of Palestinian
prisoners Israel should release in exchange for Shalit's return was prompted at
a meeting some 10 days ago.
As a result of the compromise, a "few hundred" Palestinian prisoners would
be released, the Post added.
Shalit was seized by Palestinian militant groups led by Izz el-Deen
al-Qassam Brigades, armed wing of Hamas, in a cross-border raid on June 25 last
year and has been held hostage since then.
The captors conditioned the return of Shalit on release of 1,000
Palestinian prisoners jailed in Israel, but Israel only offered to free 130
prisoners.