Syrian President Bashar Assad expressed cautious optimism Tuesday on the possibility of peace with Israel, in an interview with France-3 television, but warned "we cannot say that we are close to achieving peace."

Assad added, "We are preparing for direct negotiations. When we reach that step, we will be able to say that we are approaching peace. Today, we can only say that we have opened the door to peace." The remarks were made in Arabic, and translated into French subtitles for consumers in France.

Syria and Israel have been engaging in indirect negotiations brokered by Turkey since May. It was reported Tuesday that after spending a decade in Damascus, the head of the Hamas terrorist organization's political bureau, Khaled Mashaal, moved to the Sudan at the behest of the Syrian government. Ten years ago, he moved to Syria after being tossed out of Jordan.