Israel passes demands in prisoner swap to Hamas

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Israel delivered its counter-demands Tuesday for a deal with Hamas to exchange about 1,000 Palestinian prisoners for a single Israeli soldier held captive by Gaza militants for more than three years.As families on both sides agonized over the outcome, last-minute differences over who should be freed or sent into exile threatened to imperil the deal.Israel insists on expelling some West Bank-born prisoners to the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip or abroad and balks at releasing some inmates high on the Hamas wish list, said a senior Hamas official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he is not supposed to brief reporters.Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak appeared to be trying to temper expectations when he told a group of students that returning Sgt. Gilad Schalit was a "top priority" — but "not at any price," a reference to Palestinian prisoners convicted of bloody attacks.Israel's Channel 10 TV broadcast its coverage of the negotiations over a headline that read, "Not Yet." Israeli media said the deal could take days or weeks to complete.It wasn't clear how soon Hamas would respond.The Hamas official said that while progress has been made, a deal is not imminent. A Hamas Web site, al-Risalah, said a German mediator would meet later Tuesday with Hamas leaders in Gaza who will "take a final and conclusive decision on what the German mediator brings from his visit to the occupied territories."Yet another Hamas official said that meeting would take place Wednesday.In recent days, marathon discussions about the swap at the top level of Israel's government conveyed a sense of urgency. However, more than three years of negotiations following the capture of the Israeli soldier have been shrouded in a fog of disinformation and spin, leading to repeated false alarms that a deal is close.The decision on whether to accept what would be the biggest swap in years is crucial for Hamas, which wrested Gaza from Western-backed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in 2007.A swap may be the mili

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