Hamas founder Mahmoud Az-Zahar has told the Filastin Al-An news website, "A prisoner exchange deal will be carried out only when all the prisoners who have been arrested again (after the Schalit deal) will be released," according to News 13.

He was referring to the bodies of Israel soldiers held by his organization in Gaza since the Protective Edge counterterror campaign of 2014, along with at least two living Israelis who have entered Gaza since then.