Gaza militants demand 1,000 prisoners for Israeli

By Nidal al-Mughrabi

GAZA (Reuters) – Palestinian militant factions who captured
an Israeli soldier demanded on Saturday that Israel free 1,000
prisoners from its jails and end an assault on Gaza launched to
win the soldier’s release.

A statement from the groups — the second since Corporal
Gilad Shalit was captured in a raid across Gaza’s frontier on
Sunday — appeared to cast doubt on the hopes of mediators that
diplomacy could soon get him free.

Israel has said repeatedly that it will not consider
releasing prisoners in exchange for the 19-year-old tank
gunner. Israeli officials were not available for comment.

“We are declaring to the public our just and humanitarian
demands,” said the statement faxed to news agencies by the
armed wing of the governing Hamas Islamist group, the Popular
Resistance Committees and Army of Islam.

It repeated an earlier call to free women prisoners and
minors in exchange for information on Shalit — the group has
not said if he is dead or alive — but also demanded the
release of 1,000 “Palestinian, Arab and Muslim prisoners.”

It said these would have to include all Palestinian faction
leaders as well as humanitarian cases.

“Military Statement Number Two” did not specify that this
would be in exchange for Shalit’s release. Abu Ubaida, a
spokesman for the Hamas armed wing, said that was what it
meant.

The crisis has sent Israeli-Palestinian relations to new
lows and piled more pressure on the Hamas Islamist government,
already straining under a U.S.-led aid embargo to get it to
renounce violence and drop its vow to destroy Israel.

Appearing to cast doubt on prospects for mediation, the
statement insisted that Israel “end all aggression” in the
occupied West Bank as well its operations in Gaza.

“The escalation and arrogance mean the enemy will be
responsible for the bad consequences,” it said. There was no
specific threat to Shalit.

OFFENSIVE ON HOLD

Israeli aircraft fired missiles at training camps for
militants early on Saturday, but the Jewish state kept on hold
a threatened ground assault into northern Gaza. Diplomats said
that was partly to give Egyptian-led mediation a chance.

Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas demanded an end to
the Israeli offensive on Friday and said it was complicating
efforts to end the standoff.

He said he was working to end the crisis together with the
Egyptians and President Mahmoud Abbas, a moderate.

Diplomats said Egypt was trying to get Syria to lean on
Damascus-based Hamas leaders with greater sway over the armed
wing than Haniyeh.

Israel says it is not playing any role in the mediation and
has rejected the possibility of freeing some of its thousands
of Palestinian prisoners in an exchange similar to past deals
it has made with Lebanese and Palestinian guerrillas.

Israeli tanks entered the southern Gaza Strip this week in
the biggest push into the territory since Israel pulled out
troops and settlers last year after 38 years of occupation.

Air strikes have targeted roads, bridges, areas used to
fire rockets and the Interior Ministry offices. Two militants
have been killed. The army said they were members of squads
trying to fire rockets into Israel.

The Palestinians urged the U.N. Security Council on Friday
to press Israel to quickly end its offensive, but the United
States said Syria and Iran must first end their role as “state
sponsors of terror” and condemn Hamas militants.