CAIRO: Hamas said on Sunday morning that Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas is preventing a possible prisoner exchange deal with Israel that would see soldier Gilad Shalit returned to the Jewish state and a number of Palestinian prisoners released from Israeli jails. The statements come as the war of words between Hamas in Gaza and Abbas' Fatah party in the West Bank seemingly continue unabated. Hamas spokesman Mushir al-Masry said the Palestinian president opposes the release of Hamas officials from Israeli prison. However, on Sunday, Abbas' security forces in the West Bank released as many as 200 Hamas prisoners who had been in custody on the West Bank. It is unclear if they will be allowed by Israel to move freely and enter the Gaza Strip. Masry noted that captive Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, who was captured in 2006 in Gaza, would have been released in the planned exchange of prisoners, but Abbas had personally “intervened” to make it not happen. He also said the United States has also been active at thwarting the possible exchange, “because such a move would boost Hamas' standing among Palestinians.” The Palestinian Islamic party is on the US State Department's list of terrorist organizations. The prisoner exchange deal was reached with the mediation of Egypt. It was scheduled to take place last June. BM