GAZA, Dec. 15 (Xinhua) -- Islamic Hamas movement said on Tuesday that there is still more time needed to reach a prisoner exchange deal with Israel.

    The swap would secure the release of captive Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit for 1,000 prisoners from Israeli jails. Ayman Taha, a Gaza-based Hamas spokesman denied earlier media reports saying that the deal is expected to complete within the coming week, adding "these reports are not true, still we need some more time to finalize the deal."

    Earlier on Tuesday, a high-ranking Egyptian source revealed that Cairo had invited some of Hamas leaders to come to Cairo within the coming few days to continue the negotiations on finalizing the deal between Hamas and Israel.

    The source told the Syrian al-Wattan Daily that the talks had reached a very advanced stage and finalizing the deal has become so imminent, adding that Cairo was informed by the German mediator that Israel has shown more flexibility concerning the last 20prisoners to be included into the list.

    Hamas demands the release of 1,000 Palestinian prisoners from Israeli prisons for the release of Shalit, including 450 prisoners with lengthy sentence terms whom Israel says their hands are covered with Israeli blood.

    The source said that the German mediator confirmed to Egypt that according to his evaluations, the deal might be finalized within one week "if the talks continue to be positive." The source also said that according to the latest results, "Egypt sent an invitation to some Hamas leaders to visit in Cairo with in the coming three or four days to finalize the deal." Asked if Israel would accept to free Fatah leader MarwanBarghouti and Popular Front leader Ahmed Sa'dat, the sources said" I can't talk about this issue, but I can confirm the good news we had received from the German mediator."

Jailed Fatah leader says prisoners swap in final phase

    RAMALLAH, Dec. 9 (Xinhua) -- A Fatah leader in prison said the prisoners exchange negotiations between Hamas and Israel reached final and critical point, the Jerusalem-based al-Quds newspaper reported Wednesday.

    Marwan al-Barghouti, a Fatah leader serving life sentence, said in an interview with the newspaper in his jail that he hopes "the swap to take place soon as it has entered its final, most difficult phase." Full story

Abbas: No swap deal reached so far on Israeli Shalit

    CAIRO, Dec. 9 (Xinhua) -- No swap deal has been reached so far between the Islamist group Hamas and Israel on freeing kidnapped Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said Wednesday in Sharm el-Sheikh of Egypt, reported Egypt's MENA news agency.

    After talks with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in the Red Sea resort, Abbas, when asked about his expectation of the deal, said that according to available information, talks are currently held among the parties concerned on the details of the deal, including the number of those to be set free. Full story

Special Report: Palestine-Israel Conflicts