Hamas said on Friday that an Israeli soldier captured more than a week ago was being well-treated. "His treatment is being done well and in a humanitarian way in accordance with the orders of our religion," the movement said in a statement.
It added Israel's expanded military offensive in Gaza Strip had complicated efforts to resolve the crisis. "The issue of the captured soldier has become more complicated than before," said the statement.
Earlier, a top Israeli government official said that Israel might free Palestinian prisoners as part of an Egyptian proposal to win freedom for the Israeli soldier.
Avi Dichter, Israel‘s minister of public security, said that once the Israeli soldier is freed and Palestinians halt rocket attacks from Gaza Strip, Israel could release Palestinian prisoners as a goodwill gesture.
If the Palestinians halt attacks, "Israel will need to, after some time, release prisoners as a return gesture," Dichter said. "Israel knows how to do this. Israel has done this more than once in the past."
