Hamas delegates headed to Cairo on Monday for talks on a deal that would free an Israeli soldier who has been held captive for more than three years, regional media said.

A senior Hamas official, Salah al-Bardawil, said on Sunday that an agreement on the exchange of Gilad Shalit for Palestinians held in Israeli prisons could be reached by the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha on Friday, the Haaretz reported.

According to the Islamist group's official Al-Risala journal, the deal will be finalized soon after the holiday.

Israeli President Shimon Peres said on Sunday progress had been made, but "the details must be kept behind the scenes." The comment followed Peres's meeting with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in Cairo.

The Israel Defense Forces soldier was seized in June 2006 by Palestinian militants while on patrol near the Gaza Strip.

In September, Israel released 20 Palestinian female prisoners in exchange for a video clip proving that Shilat was still alive.

The Gaza Strip has been the subject of an almost continuous Israeli blockade since Hamas took control of the enclave in the summer of 2007. The release of Shalit is a major precondition for the lifting of the blockade.

GAZA STRIP, November 23 (RIA Novosti)