The family of an Israeli soldier held captive by Gaza militants since 2006 met senior government officials on Monday amid reports of progress in talks to free him in a Palestinian prisoner exchange. 

Gilad Shalit's parents went to the defence ministry in Tel Aviv and met Hagai Hadas, Israel's point man in the indirect talks with the Hamas rulers of Gaza over a prisoner exchange.

The meeting came a day after Israeli President Shimon Peres reported progress in the German-mediated talks for a deal that would see Shalit, seized by Gaza militants in June 2006, released in exchange for hundreds of prisoners.

The family did not comment on details of their meeting, which was to be followed by meetings with senior Israeli ministers later in the day.

"It is not the moment to talk," Noam Shalit, the father, told reporters.

In Cairo, a senior Egyptian official whose country has been central to the mediation said a deal has yet to be nailed down and signalled that a final list of Palestinian prisoners has not yet been agreed.

“More time is needed”
"We in Egypt think that more time is needed," said the official, who asked to remain anonymous.

"It's a complicated business. There is no agreement yet on the list of names of Palestinian prisoners whose release is demanded by Hamas," the official said.

Israeli military censorship has imposed a blackout on information about the indirect talks.

Hamas has kept mum as well, with senior officials in Gaza telling reporters that they were under strict orders not to talk to the press on the issue.

The closest to a comment that Hamas made was from Islamist MP Ahmed Bahar who told a meeting of prisoners' relatives: "The dawn of liberty has arrived and we will soon celebrate our hero prisoners."

Saudi-backed Al-Arabiya television reported that Hamas leaders would meet on Monday to study details of a plan to swap Shalit for Palestinian prisoners.

Shalit, who holds both Israeli and French nationality, was captured more than three years ago when three Gaza militant groups, including Hamas, tunnelled out of the enclave and attacked an Israeli army post, killing two other soldiers.

In early October, Israel released 20 Palestinian women prisoners in exchange for the first video of Shalit, today 23, since he was captured.

Source: AFA