Hamas leader: No serious talks with Israel regarding prisoner exchange deal

No serious negotiations have been held on swapping an Israeli soldier captured in the Gaza Strip for Palestinian prisoners, Hamas' exiled political chief Khaled Meshaal said in comments published on Thursday.

Meshaal, in an interview with Lebanon's al-Akhbar daily newspaper, reiterated that the Israeli soldier would only be released as part of a prisoner exchange deal. "There is no other way except negotiations, which have not started yet because Israel refuses to admit that its attempts to free the soldier without a price have failed," he said.

"We receive many international delegations that come to discuss the issue but none of them has a full and serious mandate," the Damascus-based leader added.