On Sunday Israeli and Palestinian authorities denied press reports about the near release Israeli captive in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.

The parties do not deny that there is some progress in negotiations on the fate of the Israeli tankman Gilad Shalit, who had been kept by the militants in the Gaza Strip more than three years. Israel made a basic condition for lifting the blockade of the Palestinian enclave - a release of Gilad Shalit.

“We aspire to success in this matter, so should not enlarge upon this in the media that not to damage the process,” - said Osama al-Mzeni, who oversees negotiations from the direction of the ruling in the Gaza Strip, the Hamas movement.

Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu called “exaggerated” reports that the “bargain” may be in the coming days.

“The talk that the bargain will take place in the next few days are groundless. We must return Shalit home safe and sound, but the messages have a large share of exaggeration and inaccuracy” - he said at Sunday’s cabinet meeting.