Palestine-Israel-Carter
Former US President Jimmy Carter on Monday criticized the US for lobbying to exclude Hamas from the Middle East peace talks.

After meeting Hamas leaders in Syria, he said it was a problem the US and Israel lobby to exclude Hamas.

On Monday, Israel killed one Palestinian civilian in the southern city of Rafah and another at Beit Hanoun.

Carter said Hamas had reiterated its position that it would accept an Israel within its pre-1967 borders, living in peace if such an agreement was approved by Palestinians.

Carter also said that the release of the Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, captured by Hamas and other groups during a raid into Israel two years ago, was being held up by the lack of direct communication between Tel Aviv and Hamas.

Carter said the difficulty was in agreeing the identity of the Palestinian prisoners to be released in return.

He said Egyptian officials had told him that Israel had agreed to release 1,000 prisoners, in principle.

Carter also said Hamas had agreed to let Shalit send a letter to his parents.

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