Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) confirmed on Sunday that a progress had been achieved to free a captive Israeli corporal in an exchange for several hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.

Fawzi Barhoum, Hamas spokesman in Gaza, confirmed to reporters that a progress on talks to exchange the Israeli captive soldier for Palestinian prisoners "had been achieved."

A senior Egyptian security delegation has been leading mediation between Israel and the Palestinian captors of the Israeli corporal Gilad Shalit since he was kidnapped on June 25 by three Hamas-led armed groups.

"The ball is now in Israel's filed after the Egyptian side has handed over to Israel the prisoners' lists," Barhoum said, calling on Israel to "respect the efforts of the Egyptians and the demands of the captors".

Hamas' armed wing and two minor militant groups, namely the Popular Resistance Committees and the Army of Islamic, have claimed responsibility for the June 25 attack on an Israeli military base on the borders between southeast Gaza Strip and Israel, where Shailt was abducted.

Meanwhile, Palestinian Minister of Information and spokesman of the Hamas-led coalition Mustafa al-Barghouti said in statements that he denies earlier reports quoting him as saying that practical steps to free Shalit had begun.

"What I said was that the Palestinian side had handed over the Egyptian security delegation lists of names of Palestinian detainees imprisoned in Israeli jails. I also said that the ball now is in the Israeli playground," said al-Barghouti.