Egypt is moving towards brokering a comprehensive agreement between Israel and the Hamas terror group, which rules Gaza.
Hamas is expected to transfer a new recording to Egypt, with details on the Israelis currently held captive in Gaza, the London-based Al-Arab reported.
On Friday, Hamas clarified that "there is no progress on a prisoner deal," Channel 12 News reported.
Hamas also emphasized that, "Prisoners with heavy sentences will be released" in a future swap.
Two living Israelis and the bodies of two IDF soldiers are being held in Gaza by the Hamas terror group.
One of the living captives is Hisham Al-Sayed, a resident of the Bedouin village of Hura, who has been held by Hamas since April of 2015. In September 2018, Hisham's father Shaaban told his son's story, explaining that Hisham was diagnosed with schizophrenia, and had previously crossed the border with Gaza twice and came back to Israel.
In that conversation, Shaaban clarified to Hadashot TV, "My son is one person, but there are two million people there (in Gaza -ed.). I ask that he not be part of a deal that will see prisoners being freed, because he is sick, he should not be in this equation."
The other living Israeli is Avraham (Avera) Mengistu, who is mentally unstable. Mengistu crossed the border into Gaza in late 2014 and has not been heard from since. He is believed to be held by Hamas, which has acknowledged that Mengistu was in Gaza but stopped short of confirming it is holding him.
The IDF soldiers, Hadar Goldin and Oron Shaul, were killed during Operation Protective Edge in 2014, and their bodies have not been released for burial. In addition, although both were confirmed killed immediately following the war, during the summer of 2014, Hamas insists that one of the soldiers is still alive.