New footage of Gilad Shalit in captivity in the Gaza Strip was aired on Al Jazeera TV on Sunday as well as an audio recording of “another Israeli soldier” being held by Hamas.

The footage is released amid indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas regarding a prisoner exchange. Israel has conditioned the rehabilitation of the Gaza Strip on the release of Israeli citizens held by Hamas.

In the video, Shalit is seen doing normal everyday activities, such as exercising and tying his shoes.

In the audio recording, a person is heard saying that he is an Israeli soldier being held by Hamas and he hopes that the state of Israel still exists. “And if so, I wonder whether the country’s leaders of the country think about its captured soldiers and are concerned for them and their release. I die anew every day. I hope to return to my family soon. Help.”

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Israeli security officials thought that the voice on the audio may belong to Avera Mengistu, an Israeli civilian held by Hamas since 2014. But Mengistu’s mother said that the voice definitely does not belong to her son. The father of Hisham al-Sayed, an Israeli civilian held by Hamas since 2015, said that the voice is definitely not that of his son either.

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Al-Jazeera also aired an interview with Hamas deputy military chief Marwan Issa on Sunday night, during which he said that terrorist mastermind and military chief Mohammed Deif was injured in an Israeli elimination attempt during Operation Guardian of the Walls.

Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar said last week that Hamas is ready to negotiate a prisoner exchange. Sinwar himself was released in 2011 in the controversial deal for the release of Shalit in exchange for 1,027 Palestinian security prisoners. Sinwar, who was serving a life sentence for murder, played a major role in the negotiations.

Israel’s coordinator of prisoners and missing persons, Yaron Blum, responded to the footage: “Hamas is in distress after the severe blows it suffered during Operation Guardian of the Walls and is carrying out a cheap manipulation attempt.”

“Israel is well aware of the condition of its sons Hadar Goldin and Oron Shaul, zichram l’bracha, and of the two civilians Avra Mengistu and Hisham a-Sayed, who crossed the border while alive. The State of Israel will continue to act with determination and responsibility for the return of its sons and citizens.”

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)