Captured Israeli Soldier 'alive and Well'
Palestinian militant group uses anniversary of Israeli soldier's capture to reiterate demands and call for more kidnappings.
Palestinian militants who captured an Israeli soldier exactly a year ago today said he was in good health and being treated well.
"A year has passed since we abducted the Zionist soldier [Gilad] Shalit and we are determined and able to keep him in captivity for years to come unless the Zionist enemy complies with our demands," said Abu Mujahid, a spokesman for the Popular Resistance Committees (PRC), one of three Hamas-linked groups.
"[Mr Shalit] is alive and is in good health," he said.
Militants seized Mr Shalit and killed two other soldiers at an army base on June 25, 2006, after tunneling into Israel from the Gaza Strip.
Negotiations for his release, mediated by Egypt, have repeatedly broken down and run into complications since Hamas took control of Gaza two weeks ago.
Mr Mujahid said Palestinian factions must celebrate the first anniversary of Mr Shalit's abduction by kidnapping additional Israeli soldiers, so they could be exchanged for more than 10,000 Palestinians in jail.
"The soldier Shalit will never be freed before we see our prisoners freed and among us," he said at a rally attended by dozens of families of Palestinians held by Israel.
Negotiations brokered by Egypt have been suspended in recent months amid Palestinian infighting and Israeli-Palestinian violence.
If Israel wanted Mr Shalit freed, it should release Palestinian prisoners who were women, children, elderly, sick, leaders of factions and people serving long sentences, Mr Mujahid said.
Israel has agreed in principle to a prisoner swap, but balked at some of the Palestinian demands for the number and type of prisoners to be freed.
The Israeli human rights group B'Tselem accused the militants holding Mr Shalit of war crimes.
"International humanitarian law absolutely prohibits taking and holding a person by force in order to compel the enemy to meet certain demands, while threatening to harm or kill the person if the demands are not met," the group said. "Furthermore, hostage-taking is considered a war crime."
B'Tselem said Hamas was responsible for securing Mr Shalit's release since it effectively controls the security situation in Gaza.
It added that the militants holding the soldier had violated international law further by not allowing Red Cross representatives to visit him.
"A year has passed since we abducted the Zionist soldier [Gilad] Shalit and we are determined and able to keep him in captivity for years to come unless the Zionist enemy complies with our demands," said Abu Mujahid, a spokesman for the Popular Resistance Committees (PRC), one of three Hamas-linked groups.
"[Mr Shalit] is alive and is in good health," he said.
Militants seized Mr Shalit and killed two other soldiers at an army base on June 25, 2006, after tunneling into Israel from the Gaza Strip.
Negotiations for his release, mediated by Egypt, have repeatedly broken down and run into complications since Hamas took control of Gaza two weeks ago.
Mr Mujahid said Palestinian factions must celebrate the first anniversary of Mr Shalit's abduction by kidnapping additional Israeli soldiers, so they could be exchanged for more than 10,000 Palestinians in jail.
"The soldier Shalit will never be freed before we see our prisoners freed and among us," he said at a rally attended by dozens of families of Palestinians held by Israel.
Negotiations brokered by Egypt have been suspended in recent months amid Palestinian infighting and Israeli-Palestinian violence.
If Israel wanted Mr Shalit freed, it should release Palestinian prisoners who were women, children, elderly, sick, leaders of factions and people serving long sentences, Mr Mujahid said.
Israel has agreed in principle to a prisoner swap, but balked at some of the Palestinian demands for the number and type of prisoners to be freed.
The Israeli human rights group B'Tselem accused the militants holding Mr Shalit of war crimes.
"International humanitarian law absolutely prohibits taking and holding a person by force in order to compel the enemy to meet certain demands, while threatening to harm or kill the person if the demands are not met," the group said. "Furthermore, hostage-taking is considered a war crime."
B'Tselem said Hamas was responsible for securing Mr Shalit's release since it effectively controls the security situation in Gaza.
It added that the militants holding the soldier had violated international law further by not allowing Red Cross representatives to visit him.
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