An Islamic Hamas movement official said on Monday that his movement is not intending to change the list of Palestinian prisoners it wants to free for the release of captive Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Xinhua that even if Israeli Prime Minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu takes office, the movement would keep asking for the release of the same prisoners included in the list.

"We are not afraid of a Netanyahu government, and Netanyahu and Lieberman will have to discuss the list that we submitted to (outgoing Israeli Prime Minister Ehud) Olmert, with the same names," said the official.

Netanyahu is due to present his new government before the Knesset (parliament) on Tuesday to gain the parliament's confidence.

Two Israeli TV channels reported that the Israeli government of Olmert had earlier announced that the indirect talks between Israel and Shalit's captors, mediated by Egypt, have been postponed until further notice.

But a Gaza-based Islamic Jihad news website said the Israeli reports might be inaccurate, adding that there is still hope to reach a prisoners' exchange deal.

Meanwhile, Osama al-Muzeini, a senior Hamas leader in Gaza closed to the indirect talks, revealed that international mediations to finalize Shalit's deal had failed, adding "and we don't feel sorry for closing this case."

In 2006, Hamas captured Shalit in a cross-border raid near the Gaza Strip. Hamas demands to exchange the corporal for more than 1,000 prisoners and insists that it would select the names of the first 450 inmates to be freed.

(Xinhua News Agency March 31, 2009)