Posted on 07/03/2006 5:00:07 AM PDT by Flavius
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip - Three Palestinian militant groups that captured an Israeli soldier issued a statement Monday giving Israel less than 24 hours to start releasing 1,500 Palestinian prisoners or "bear all the consequences." ADVERTISEMENT
The ultimatum came as Israel made good on its promise to continue its military offensive until the soldier was freed, firing artillery shells and missiles into the coastal strip and massing troops and tanks along the Gaza-Israel border.
The militant groups, in a statement posted on the Web site of the ruling Hamas party's military wing, did not expressly say what the consequences would be, but implied the soldier could be killed. Israeli government spokesman Asaf Shariv said officials were studying the statement.
"We give the Zionist enemy until 6:00 tomorrow morning, Tuesday, July 4," the groups said in their statement, which was also faxed to news agencies.
"If the enemy does not respond to our humanitarian demands mentioned in previous leaflets on the conditions for dealing with the case of the missing soldier ... we will consider the soldier's case to be closed," it said. "And then the enemy must bear all the consequences of the future results."
Cpl. Gilad Shalit, 19, was captured June 25 in a cross-border raid by the military wing of the Palestinians' ruling Hamas party, and two allied groups, the Popular Resistance Committees and the Army of Islam.
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has said repeatedly that Israel would not negotiate Shalit's release. But Israel's military chief of staff, Lt. Gen. Dan Halutz, didn't rule it out Monday, saying the government "will consider all that there is to be considered."
Israel has swapped prisoners in the past to win the release of captured citizens, alive and dead, and privately, political and defense leaders have indicated the possibility of releasing prisoners who weren't involved in attacks on Israel, officials said on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the discussions.
In the meantime, Israel has sent tanks, troops and warplanes to attack Gaza over the past week in an effort to press militants to free Shalit. Intensive efforts to mediate his release, involving Egypt and other countries, so far have not been successful.
There has been no sign of life from the soldier since his seizure, and no concrete evidence of his condition, though Israeli officials have said they think he is alive. The Shalit family had no immediate comment on the ultimatum.
The pan-Arab newspaper Al Hayat reported Monday that an Egyptian security team had visited the kidnapped Israeli soldier in Gaza and said he was being treated by a Palestinian doctor for "three bullet wounds." The paper did not say when the visit took place.
Shalit's captors initially demanded the release of about 500 women and children prisoners held in Israeli jails. They later raised their demands to include an additional 1,000 prisoners. Israel is currently holding about 9,000 Palestinians.
The ultimatum requires Israel only to "start" freeing the prisoners by Tuesday morning.
Hamas, which has killed hundreds of Israelis in suicide bombings, has refused to renounce violence or recognize Israel since taking power in March. But the Hamas government and Hamas leaders based in Syria have denied responsibility for the soldier's capture.
A spokesman for the Hamas government said the ultimatum was "a message to Israel that all its military escalation will not get it anywhere."
"If it continues every day to kill and target and attack, it won't get the soldier, alive or dead," spokesman Ghazi Hamad said. "That is the meaning of the message."
In their statement, Shalit's captors accused Israel of not "learning lessons" from the cases of other kidnapped soldiers. The last Israeli soldier kidnapped by Hamas, Nachshon Wachsman, died in 1994 in an Israeli commando raid on his captors' Jerusalem hide-out.
In an op-ed piece in the Haaretz newspaper, Wachsman's mother, Esther, wrote how the family, through Shalit's capture, was "once again going back" to those dark days when her son was being held. She criticized Israel's leaders for a lack of candor in dealing with abduction cases.
"I am not calling for the release of murderers, but they (Israel's leaders) should not insult our intelligence because they have negotiated and they have given in to terror," Esther Wachsman wrote, referring to cases in which Israel has swapped prisoners in the past.
When it launched its first large-scale military action in Gaza since withdrawing from the strip last summer, Israel said it declared purpose was to lean on militants to release Shalit. In statements since, government officials have said the campaign is also meant to topple the Hamas government and stop gunmen from launching rockets at southern Israel.
Early Monday, Israel massed tanks and troops across from northern Gaza, and pounded the area with artillery. At daybreak, a small force of Israeli tanks entered northern Gaza, but the military said it was a "limited" mission to find explosives and tunnels near the border fence.
Additional Israeli troops moved into place across from northern Gaza on Sunday, showing clear preparations for an invasion that was put off last week to give diplomacy more time. For months, Palestinian militants have launched homemade rockets at Israeli villages near the border fence, and Israel has been unable to stop the barrages with repeated airstrikes and artillery attacks.
Also Monday, Israeli aircraft struck Palestinian militants carrying anti-tank missiles near Israeli troops in northern Gaza, killing one, the army said. Earlier, Israeli troops killed one gunman after he and another militant approached soldiers in northern Gaza, the military said, without providing further details.
Palestinian medical officials confirmed that an armed Palestinian man had been killed in Beit Hanoun.
Despite the military operation, Israel reopened the main cargo crossing with Gaza Sunday to allow 50 trucks of food, medical supplies and fuel into Gaza from Israel. Trucks carrying diesel fuel, gasoline and natural gas also began entering northeastern Gaza through the Nahal Oz border crossing.
The Palestinian parliament, meanwhile, held its first session Monday since Israel arrested 64 top Hamas officials, including eight Cabinet ministers and 20 lawmakers, last week in the West Bank.
"By arresting those lawmakers and ministers, Israel is trying to hijack the Palestinian ... political regime, but our people will protect our political regime," said parliament speaker Abdel Aziz Duaik.
Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas, whose empty office was hit by Israeli missiles on Sunday, did not attend the session, which was convened to discuss the arrests.
>>GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip - Three Palestinian militant groups that captured an Israeli soldier issued a statement Monday giving Israel less than 24 hours to start releasing 1,500 Palestinian prisoners or "bear all the consequences."<<
They know Israel won't do that. Does anybody see any way to read this other than they want a military confrontation?
Ohhh...what are they going to do? Kidnap people and murder them? Since they've never stopped doing so it is an empty threat to say they're going to do what they always do.
Translation - the palis have hit rock bottom . . . . . and are starting to dig!!
The palastinians are completly insane. Islam is insane. There is no negotiating with them and no living on the same planet with them, with any peace.
Exactly. All hamas is doing is threatening to continue to do business as usual - not the kind of hand you want to intimidate an enemy with.
perfect chance for Israel to seize the world stage of victimhood instead of acting like non victims.
These guys simply don't understand. You can't issue an ultimatum to Israel.
How about an escalation that actually starts dirt-napping Hamas officials? See how they like them apples..
Timing is everything.
Interesting that it would be 6am on 7/4?
At that instant will/can the world 'blame Israel' for all out WWIII?
Palistinians have WMD, Eygpts threats to Israel, Syria, Iran, and a bomb on the launch pad in NK.
I have a very bad feeling about the next 24 hours. I hope it is misplaced.
update ping
The Palestinians are, as ever, their own worst enemy.
You know they have hit rock bottom when even the Palis admit that one Israeli is worth 1500 Islamic militants.
Yesterday it was reported the Israeli soldier had shrapnel wounds. Today they are saying he's been shot 3 times.
One wonders what shape he's really in.
LOL! Touche.
He's in our prayers. We'll hope for the best.
I pray not but I wonder if the Israeli soldier isn't already dead.
>>Does anybody see any way to read this other than they want a military confrontation?
I pray not but I wonder if the Israeli soldier isn't already dead.<<
Oh. Unfortunately that would make sense too. That they killed him and don't want to admit it.
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