Gaza Truce Talks Stall Over Shalit

Israel's prime minister is meeting other political leaders to discuss a proposed long-term ceasefire with Hamas, despite saying there would be no agreement until a captured soldier is freed.

"Mr Olmert will today hold consultation with the main political leaders over a truce," Mark Regev, a government spokesman, said on Sunday.

A statement issued by Olmert's office on Saturday said: "Israel will not reach any understandings regarding the calm [truce] before the release of Gilad Shalit."

Shalit was seized by Palestinian fighters in a cross-border raid in 2006.

However, the meeting comes after Olmert said that no long-term ceasefire will be agreed with Hamas unless an Israeli soldier captured in 2006 is released

Hamas, which seized full control of the Gaza Strip in June 2007 after pushing out security forces loyal to Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, said that Israel had raised the Shalit issue in order to make efforts at a truce fail.

"We consider that this kind of Israeli procrastination is for the aim of achieving more objectives and wasting more time and effort," Osama Hamdan, a Beirut-based Hamas official, said.

"But our position is still as it was, and what was agreed has to be implemented fully. Otherwise Israel will bear the consequences of any failure."

Lasting truce

Egypt has been attempting to broker a lasting truce between the two sides since Israel ended its 22-day assault on the Gaza Strip, which left more than 1,300 Palestinians dead.

Israel unilaterally decided to halt the offensive on January 18, before Hamas announced its own ceasefire the following day.

There had been media reports in recent days suggesting that the two sides were close to a deal after Egyptian officials said that a truce could be agreed "in days".

Jacky Rowland, Al Jazeera's correspondent in Jerusalem, said that Israeli public opinion overwhelmingly backed the of Shalit's release being tied to any ceasefire deal.

"I think the Israelis at the moment are hoping that the grim reality of post-war Gaza is beginning to dawn on Hamas," she said.

"The Israelis are figuring that Hamas, apart from Gilad Shalit, doesn't hold many cards."

However, with a new Israeli government to be sworn within perhaps weeks, Olmert would be keen to complete a deal before he leaves office, Rowland said. Hamas could also be keen to secure a truce, fearing any new Israeli government will the dominated by hardliners.

Crossings demand

Hamas has previously said that negotiations over Shalit's release should take place as part of separate talks on a possible exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.

Al Jazeera's Lauren Taylor, in Cairo, said: "Hamas are saying ... in terms of that truce deal - the opening of the borders and the ceasefire - they are ready to sign.

"They are saying that Israel bringing up the issue of Gilad Shalit at this stage is effectively Israel throwing a spanner in the works," Taylor said.

The Palestinians want the crossings into the Gaza Strip reopened as part of a truce deal to bring to an end the crippling blockade of the territory that has restricted the delivery of basic supplies, food and fuel.

Israel launched its 22-day offensive on Gaza with the stated aim of stopping rocket attacks on southern Israel and destroying the infrastructure of the Hamas government.

But since the fighting ended dozens of rockets and mortars have been fired by Palestinian fighters and Israel has carried out a number of air raids.