Hamas hangs on to Israeli soldier hostage

TEL AVIV, Israel, July 18 (UPI) -- Talks remain stalled between Israel and Hamas over the fate of kidnapped Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit despite recent completion of the Hezbollah prisoner swap.

A relatively quiet period in the Gaza Strip has failed to translate into negotiation breakthroughs over another prisoner exchange, with each side suggesting the other is intransigent. Hamas is calling for replacement of Egyptians with German intermediaries, The Jerusalem Post reported Friday.

"The Egyptians have proved that they are unable to put enough pressure on Israel to accept our demands," one Hamas official reportedly said.

Israel is balking at many prisoners Hamas has demanded be released in an exchange for Shalit, who was kidnapped in June 2006. Included are dozens of convicts serving sentences for their roles in bus and suicide bombings during the early 1990s, Haaretz said Friday.