Palestinian militants offer kidnapped Israeli soldier for prisoner swap

If that is true, then the likelihood for progress in the negotiations toward Shalit's release has increased. It should be remembered that, in addition to Shalit, Palestinian groups have been holding a BBC journalist for several weeks.

The New York Times reports that the list includes a few high-profile names who would be "especially difficult for Israel to release."

The list of about 450 names, according to the news reports, included Marwan Barghouti, a grass-roots leader of the Fatah faction and former leader of the Tanzim, a Fatah militia, in the West Bank. He was sentenced in 2002 to five life sentences for his role in the deaths of four Israelis and a foreigner. The list also reportedly included Ahmed Saadat, the leader of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, who is accused of coordinating the assassination of an Israeli tourism minister in 2001. ...

The Israeli government is always reluctant to release prisoners who have been convicted of killing Israelis. Israel Radio reported on Sunday that Prime Minister Ehud Olmert would convene a meeting with his security cabinet this week to discuss the standards to determine how Palestinian prisoners could be released in a deal to free Corporal Shalit.

The possible release of Marwan Barghouti, whom some Palestinians call the "Palestinian Nelson Mandela," is of particular importance to both Palestinians and Israelis, reports The Daily Telegraph of London. To many Palestinians, the Telegraph writes, he is "the only politician capable of leading his people out of decades of Israeli occupation and fratricidal bloodletting to nationhood," while to Israelis, "he is a ruthless terrorist who is rightly languishing in jail for his role in the murder of five people during the second intifada."

Palestinian hopes that Mr. Barghouti might be released were bolstered when his son Qassam was released from prison two weeks ago. Qassam briefly spoke to the Telegraph about his father.

On the key question of recognising Israel, Qassam said, his father had made up his mind. "He believes that what happened in 1948 is a part of history and we, as Palestinians, must now accept that there will always be an Israel," said the young man who has the same pudgy, whiskered face as his father. "The only solution for this conflict must be two states side by side, an Israeli state and a Palestinian state."

Not all Palestinians are in favor of Barghouti's release. Ynetnews reports that some members of Fatah "fear his release would boost support for rival faction Hamas by shifting political allegiences.

Barghouti's supporters in the party, however, seem to suggest that those opposing his release are only concerned with protecting their own power in Fatah.

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