Israel sees "disappointment" over Hamas prisoner list

April 10, 2007

JERUSALEM (Reuters) -Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's office said on Tuesday ministers had expressed "disappointment and reservation" over a list of prisoners Hamas has demanded freed in exchange for a captured Israeli soldier.

Hamas, which leads the Palestinian government, has handed over the names of Palestinian prisoners it wants Israel to free in exchange for Israeli Corporal Gilad Shalit, who has been held by militants in Gaza for 10 months.

Olmert's office said in a statement the Prime Minister had held his first discussion on the list on Tuesday with security officials, who included Defence Minister Amir Peretz and the head of Israel's Mossad spy agency, Meir Dagan.

"During the discussion, disappointment and reservation was expressed over the list of prisoners Hamas is asking to be freed," the statement said.

"Israel will continue its contacts with Egypt on the matter," the statement added.

Hamas handed the names of the prisoners to Israel via mediator Egypt.

Israeli Corporal Gilad Shalit was seized last June by militants from Hamas and two other armed groups who tunneled into Israel from Gaza.

A Hamas cabinet minister, Wasfi Kabha, told Reuters on Monday that there are around 1,400 names on the list, including Marwan Barghouthi, a Fatah leader widely seen as a possible successor to the moderate President Mahmoud Abbas.