Hamas is still drafting a response to Israel on a prisoner exchange offer, a Hamas newspaper reported on Monday.

"The answer has not yet been handed out to the German mediator "who is trying to broker the prisoner exchange deal between Israel and the Islamic movement, said the Gaza-based al-Ressalla newspaper.

Under the prisoner swap deal, Hamas has to free Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, held hostage in Gaza since 2006, in exchange for the release of hundreds of Arab and Palestinian prisoners from Israelijails.

Hamas leaders "are still discussing the response, when things ripen, we would give them to the German mediator," the report added, quoting Salah al-Bardaweel, a Hamas official from Gaza.

On Sunday, reports said that the mediator has arrived in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip to receive Hamas' answer. However, al-Bardaweel refused to confirm or deny the news.

Israel wants to deport some of the prisoners outside the Palestinian territories under the swap, but Hamas is trying to reduce the number.

(Xinhua News Agency January 5, 2010)