INN: Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak has demanded from Syrian President Bashar Assad the expulsion of Hamas head Khaled Mashaal unless Hamas frees kidnapped Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit.

The demand comes in the context of a deal that Mubarak is attempting to broker in which Israel would free prisoners whose terms expire within the year in exchange for the release of Shalit.

Gidon Meir, a senior Israeli foreign Ministry official, said that Israel has rejected the offer. “In general Israel’s stance is, as the prime minister said earlier, that the soldier will only be released unconditionally and there will be no negotiations with a gang of terrorists and criminals who abducted a soldier from Israeli territory,” said Meir.

However Arab sources say that Israel has not officially rejected the offer.