Negotiations on abducted Israeli soldier significantly advanced: report

Israel has confirmed "significant" progress in negotiations for the release of abducted soldier Gilad Shalit, the Jerusalem Post reported on its website Saturday evening.

According to the report, a compromise regarding the number of Palestinian prisoners Israel should release in exchange for Shalit 's return was prompted at a meeting some 10 days ago.

As a result of the compromise, a "few hundred" Palestinian prisoners would be released, the Post added.

Shalit was seized by Palestinian militant groups led by Izz el- Deen al-Qassam Brigades, armed wing of Hamas, in a cross-border raid on June 25 last year and has been held hostage since then.

The captors conditioned the return of Shalit on release of 1, 000 Palestinian prisoners jailed in Israel, but Israel only offered to free 130 prisoners.

Source: Xinhua