Gaza, Sep 21 (IANS): The Palestinian Islamic Hamas Movement has announced that it proposed through mediators a roadmap for reaching a prisoner exchange deal with Israel.

Zaher Jabarin, a member of the movement's politburo, said in a statement that Hamas is waiting for an Israeli answer to the proposed roadmap, reports Xinhua news agency.

Jabarin added that Israel has repeatedly tried to link the hard-living situation in the Gaza Strip and accelerating the reconstruction process in the enclave with the issue of its captives in group's grip.

"Hamas and the leadership of the Palestinian resistance had repeatedly rejected the Israeli attempts and informed the mediators that it is impossible to link between the two separate issues," he said.

In 2017, Hamas militants announced that it held four Israelis, without saying if they are dead or alive.

The last Egypt-brokered prisoner exchange between the two sides in 2011 centred on Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, in return for whom Israel released 1,028 Palestinian prisoners.