Hamas: Dec. 14 or 27 possible dates for swap

Hamas said Monday that a prisoner exchange agreement with Israel could be concluded in December, as negotiations for the release of captive soldier Gilad Schalit dragged on longer than initial media reports had anticipated.

The announcement came as a German negotiator arrived in the Gaza Strip from Israel, to resume talks with Hamas on the deal.

Sources close to Hamas said the German official, whose identity was unknown, held a series of discussions with senior Hamas representatives.

Fathi Hammad, minister of the interior in the Hamas government, hinted that the deal with Israel could be signed on December 14, the 21st anniversary of the founding of the Islamic movement.

He also did not rule out the possibility that the agreement would be reached close to December 27, which marks the first anniversary of Operation Cast Lead.

"We want either date to mark the day when hundreds of Palestinian prisoners are released from Israeli jails," Hammad told families of Palestinian inmates held in Israel. (09,35)