CAIRO - Egyptian officials denied Saturday an inconclusive prisoner swap deal between the Palestinian movement Hamas, which controls Gaza Strip, and Israel, has been transferred to Qatar. "Qatar has no link with the prisoner swap deal. Israel always looks for some reasons to delay the deal to free Palestinian prisoners in exchange for Israel's Gilad Shalit," an Egyptian official close to the talks was quoted as saying. He added that the Egyptian mediation in Shalit deal involved intensive efforts to complete the swap. "However, Israel's internal disputes are delaying it," the official said. Hamas said last week that the indirect talks between the movement and Israel to free abducted Israeli soldier in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners were at a standstill. "The Israeli government is unwilling to make any further concessions in negotiations to free Gilad in exchange for 1,000 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails," Hamas said in a statement. Gilad has been in Hamas captivity since he was abducted in a 2006 cross-border raid. Egypt and Germany have been mediating for a prisoner swap deal between Israel and Hamas.
