Hamas: Israel offered to let in 75% of Gaza aid in exchange for Shalit

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A Hamas official said Tuesday that Israel has offered to allow in 75 percent of the goods it currently bans from entering the Gaza Strip in exchange for the release of abducted Israel Defense Forces soldier Gilad Shalit, according to the Palestinian Ma'an News Agency.The remaining 25 percent are goods Israel says could be used to make weapons.Salah al-Bardawil, a leading Hamas member in the Palestinian parliament, told the Palestinian Ma'an News Agency that his movement would be ready for a prisoner exchange with Israel starting Thursday. He added that Hamas would, as part of a cease-fire, agree to stop firing projectiles into Israel, and said Hamas had asked for Egypt's help in convincing other factions to show restraint."We have no objection to a cease-fire in exchange for lifting the siege and opening crossing points," Ma'an quoted Bardawil as saying. "We don't oppose addressing the Shalit case in tandem with cease-fire negotiations, but we asked for explanations about the nature of the material Israel won't let in."Shalit has been in Palestinian captivity since he was abducted by Gaza militants in a cross-border raid in June 2006.Bardawil told Ma'an that talks with Egypt over a cease-fire with Israel in the Gaza Strip were progressing 'positively.' "Hamas addressed the Egyptian proposal for a cease-fire with Israel positively. However, Hamas asked for explanations of some Israeli proposals, especially the objection to allowing certain materials to the Gaza Strip that Israel claims are used to make weapons," Bardawil said.With regard to Israel's demand that Hamas stop smuggling through tunnels under the Gaza-Egypt border, he said Hamas' response is that Hamas is not a state and would need the cooperation of states to clamp down on smuggling. However, he said, "Hamas won't agree to stop smuggling weapons into Gaza because that would mean the end of resistance."Meanwhile, a Hamas spokesman said Tuesday that Egypt is considering opening its border crossing with the Gaza Strip to allow in reconstruction materials blocked by Israel after its 22-day offensive, Hamas said on Tuesday following a round of talks in Cairo.Egypt is trying to broker a longer-term truce in the Gaza Strip under which both Israel and Hamas would hold their fire.Hamas has demanded that Israel lift its blockade of the enclave, but the Jewish state so far has balked at letting in materials like glass, steel and cement needed for reconstruction.Israeli officials assert that these materials could be used by Hamas to build rockets, bunkers and smuggling tunnels. Israel has conditioned fully lifting its blockade on the release of a soldier captured by Gaza militants in a 2006 cross-border raid.Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum said the Islamist group and Egyptian officials were discussing the possibility that Cairo would open the Rafah crossing on Gaza's southern border to allow in reconstruction materials and vehicles, as well as shelters for those made homeless by the Israeli bombardment.Barhoum said another round of talks over the ceasefire would convene later on Tuesday night.In addition to trying to extend the shaky ceasefire, Egypt hoped to broker a reconciliation deal between Hamas Islamists in the Gaza Strip and the secular Fatah faction of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, whose Western-backed government is based in the West Bank.Cairo has proposed a meeting of the factions on Feb. 22. But Barhoum said Hamas was demanding that a committee be set up first to free "political prisoners" held by the rival groups to prepare the ground for reconciliation talks.