Special report: Palestine-Israel Relations

    GAZA, July 19 (Xinhua) -- The Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) announced on Saturday that it has decided to keep the case of the prisoner swap with Israel top secret, prohibiting talking about the case in the mass media, Hamas official said.

    The movement's spokesman in Gaza Ayman Taha told reporters that "this case (prisoner exchange) has been closed by Hamas movement and there is a decision not to speak about it in the mass media."

    Last week Hamas announced that it decided to suspend the talks mediated by Egypt to exchange a captive Israeli soldier in Gaza for around 1,000 Palestinians imprisoned in Israeli jails.

    Taha's statements were made as Israeli Radio's Arabic service reported that Israel is preparing to resume the indirect talks with Hamas to end the case of releasing the Israeli corporal Gilad Shalit.

    "Hamas' decision was made for several reasons," said Taha, declining to reveal what these reasons are, but he reiterated that "the case of the prisoner swap would be under complete secrecy."

    Hamas' decision to suspend the talks on releasing Shalit was made by Hamas leadership because Israel hasn't shown a complete commitment to a truce brokered by Egypt between Hamas and Israel on June 19.

    Well-informed sources close to Hamas accused the Egyptian mediators that they are not doing enough to pressure Israel to reopen border crossings and ease the blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip.