'Israel ready to do swap for soldier held in Gaza'

JERUSALEM: Israel is ready in principle to free Palestinian prisoners in exchange for a soldier captured by Gaza-based militants, the serviceman's father told Israeli television on Thursday.          

"We spoke with the prime minister (Ehud Olmert) and in principle the government is ready for a release. But before any of that can happen, we need to have proof that Gilad is still alive," Shalit said.           

Shalit made the comments in a telephone call -- broadcast by the television -- with a spokesman for the Popular Resistance Committees, one of the three militant groups that claimed responsibility for snatching Corporal Gilad Shalit in a cross-border raid from Gaza on June 25.         

Ever since Shalit's capture, Israel has publicly insisted that Shalit must be freed without preconditions. It launched a major offensive against the territory to secure his release and stop rocket fire by militants.           

Earlier, the Palestinian Authority's diplomatic envoy in Moscow said Shalit could be freed in exchange for 600 Palestinian prisoners.           

The envoy, Baker Abdel Munem, told ITAR-TASS news agency there was a possibility of "freeing Corporal Gilad Shalit in the coming days".            

He said he did not rule out that "the Israeli serviceman will be freed in exchange for 600 Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails".      

"The events of the last two months have shown that military force cannot solve problems," he added.