This article was originally published by Maan News and is republished with permission.

The spokesman of the Popular Resistance Committees, Abu Mujahid, has accused Israel of retreating at the last moment, just as a deal was about to be finalized regarding the issue of the captured Israeli soldier, Gilad Shalit.

He added in a phone call with Ma'an that the Egyptian mediators on this issue presented a proposition that is in harmony with the demands of the factions that captured Shalit, of which the PRC are one. This deal would involve the release of Palestinian prisoners in stages.

Abu Mujahid said that this deal was "nearly going to happen, especially following the meeting of [Palestinian President] Abu Mazen and [Israeli Prime Minister] Olmert, but Israel retreated at the last moment".

He clarified that the factions no longer trust the Israeli side in regards to this issue because they simply refuse to release Palestinian prisoners. However, Abu Mujahid assured that the "Egyptian delegation is still working and negotiating but whenever the case reaches an endpoint, Israel once again retreats from it".

He said that the deal has not changed and it includes the release of the sick, children, women, and leaders of the Palestinian factions, especially Ahmad Sa'adat of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, and Marwan Al-Barghouthi of Fatah.

Hamas: the issue is moving towards a positive conclusion

The Hamas movement has assured that the negotiations regarding the issue of Gilad Shalit are moving positively and naturally towards a conclusion.

Dr. Khalil Al-Hayya, a Hamas leader, told Ma'an, "the Egyptian mediator is still negotiating with the side that captured Shalit and with the Israelis, and we hope that it will end as quickly as possible and in a way that fulfills the ambitions of the Palestinian people".