A pan-Arab newspaper on Sunday reported that Israel has agreed to release Palestinian prisoners in exchange for Gilad Shalit, a soldier that the Hamas militant group has been holding since 2006.

As Turkish officials engaged in mediation between Hamas and Israel recently, the upcoming swap, expected on Tuesday, will include the release of prisoners accused of murdering Israelis, Al-Hayat newspaper said.

It said that Israel will free about 1,000 Palestinians, including 25 who are sentenced to life imprisonment or spent many years in custody.

In addition, women, children, old prisoners and the jailed leaders of different Palestinian factions would be freed under the swap, according to the report.

Israel agreed to release Marwan al-Barghouthi, a senior official from president Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah movement, but still rejected Hamas' demand to free Ahmed Sa'dat, secretary general of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, it said.

Egypt has been mediating between Hamas and Israel to broker such a deal, but the two sides' stiffness and the deteriorating ties between Egypt and the Islamic movement negatively reflected on the Egyptian efforts.

Meanwhile, CNN Turk reported that Turkish officials will meet Hamas leaders in Syria to continue talks on the possible release of Shalit as Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak said the issue reached a sensitive phase.

(Xinhua News Agency February 9, 2009)