Gaza, December 24, 2009 (Pal Telegraph) - After receiving the Israeli response from the German mediator, a delegation of Hamas officials will visit Damascus Thursday in order to consult with the movement's leaders there around the latest Israeli response to ongoing negotiations for a prisoner swap deal.
An official in Hamas said the delegation would seek Damascus' point of view on the offer, following meetings in Gaza as leaders discussed the information passed to them by a German mediator in the swap talks.
According to reports, the latest offer includes the release of all or most of the prisoners identified by Hamas, but demands that up to 100 of them, mostly Hamas and militant movement leaders, be deported from the West Bank to Gaza or other countries that do not border Israel.
Hamas leader Mahmoud Zahhar told Israel Radio that Hamas would need several days to collect an official response.
Zahhar said the German mediator left the Strip and returned to Europe, where he is waiting Hamas' response. Their answer will determine the mediator's next move.
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