Militant demands met with tank build-up
Corporal Gilad Shalit, kidnapped Israeli soldier
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Monday, 26, Jun 2006 08:38
Israeli armour is massing on the Gaza Strip border in response to the issuing of demands from Palestinian militants responsible for kidnapping Corporal Gilad Shalit early yesterday morning.
Israel's government had received a list of demands from Palestinian militants holding a kidnapped Israeli soldier, according to media reports.
The demands, sent as an unverified faxed statement, called for the release of Palestinian women and children in return for information about the kidnapping.
Palestinian militants attacked the outpost on the Gaza border yesterday, killing two soldiers when the claimed kidnapping took place.
In response troops and armour continue to build up on the Gaza Strip border in preparation for what prime minister Ehud Olmert has described as a "broad" response to yesterday's attack.
Mr Olmert made it clear earlier today that he holds the Palestinian political leadership responsible for the attack. In a press conference earlier today he blamed Hamas completely and said that Israel's retribution "will reach everyone, no matter where".
"We consider the Palestinian Authority on all its senior levels as the element responsible for this operation and everything that it implies," Mr Olmert said.
"It should be clear that there will be no immunity to those who are holding him."
Mr Olmert said he had instructed army chiefs to be ready for "a prolonged and extensive military operation in order to strike the terror organisations and commanders".
Saeb Erekat, a Palestinian politician close to Hamas moderate leader Mahmoud Abbas, responded by calling on Mr Olmert to refrain from ordering operation. He said his president was "exerting maximum efforts in order to acquire the release of the soldier, alive and unharmed" arguing that military action would disrupt Mr Mahmoud's efforts.
Yesterday's attack has been claimed by the militant right wing of Hamas, separate to the political organisation which was voted into power earlier this year.
Hamas ended an informal ceasefire at the beginning of June when eight Palestinian civilians were killed on a beach in north Gaza by a missile.
Israel reports that its targeted missile strikes into Gaza have killed 20 militants in the past two weeks, while Palestinians claim that 14 of the dead were civilians.