A secret meeting took place between Israeli and Hamas officials this past week, the London based newspaper Al-Sharak Al-Awsat reported on Saturday, Haaretz reported.
According to Palestinian sources quoted in the report, the former Treasury Minister in the Hamas government of Ismail Haniyeh was taken from Nablus, in the West Bank, to the Israeli city of Netanya on Tuesday.
The sources reportedly refused to reveal the reason behind the meeting, but it has been suggested that the officials discussed a number of issues, including the deal to free captured Israel Defense Force soldier Gilad Shalit as well as the recent rocket fire that fell on Eilat.
Other sources believe that the secret meeting was connected a call by Hamas leaders in Damascus urging West Bank operatives to kidnap Israeli settlers in order to use them as leverage to free Palestinian prisoners. Sources indicated that Israel wanted to warn Hamas against kidnapping West Bank settlers.
Al-Razak denied the report, saying the information was "completely untrue" and "lacking any basis".