A video appeared online on Sunday purporting to show seven Egyptian security officers kidnapped last week in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula and listing their captors' demands.

In the video, the seven men – wearing blindfolds – identify themselves by name, age and military rank.

"Mr. President, please release political prisoners detained in Sinai, especially Salafist-jihadist Sheikh Hamada Abu Sheita as soon as possible... we cannot tolerate more torture," says a man claiming to be kidnapped officer Mataouh Sobhi.

"We are like [captured Israeli soldier] Gilad Shalit, who Israel traded for 1000 Palestinian prisoners," the same man adds before issuing an appeal to Egyptian Defence Minister Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi to save him and his colleagues.

Nine hours after being posted online, YouTube removed the video, however, saying that it violated the video-sharing website's policies regarding violent content.

An official Egyptian reaction has yet to be issued regarding the video or its authenticity.

A military source told Ahram Online that the video was currently in the process of being analysed.

The seven security officers were kidnapped last Thursday by an unidentified group in North Sinai.