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'Hostage-taking and terrorism'
29/06/2006 13:56 - (SA)
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| An Israeli soldier runs to reload a mobile artillery piece at a position near Kibbutz Nahal Oz. (Ariel Schalit, AP)
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Beirut - A Hamas official described Israel's detention of dozens of lawmakers from the group as hostage-taking, but would not say whether it would be willing to turn over an Israeli soldier for their release.
"It is premature to discuss this matter," Osama Hamdan told The Associated Press, noting that Israel has not officially stated its intentions.
"If the Israelis want to trade them (Palestinian politicians) for the soldier then let them say it frankly and then we will react."
He insisted the case of the Israeli corporal Gilad Shalit who Palestinian militants are holding and the Hamas politicians were different.
Soldier 'a prisoner of war'
"He's an Israeli soldier, a prisoner of war, taken in a battle and falls under a legal category," Hamdan said of Shalit.
"What happened yesterday were hostage-takings and acts of terrorism."
Palestinian officials in the territories said seven cabinet ministers and 20 lawmakers from Hamas were detained in clear attempt to use them as bargaining chips to win the release of the soldier.
Israel's military refused to comment on the roundups in Gaza and the West Bank, but Israel's Army Radio said the Hamas leaders might be used in a trade for the captured soldier.
Pressure on Palestinians
The capture of Shalit during a raid on a military outpost near the Gaza border early on Sunday sparked the latest crisis between Israel and the Palestinians.
Israeli tanks and troops on Wednesday entered southern Gaza and planes attacked three bridges and a power station, knocking out electricity in most of the coastal strip. Israeli warplanes on Wednesday buzzed the summer residence of President Bashar Assad of Syria, where Hamas' top political leader Khaled Mashaal lives.
The operations are meant to step up the pressure on Palestinian militants holding the Israeli soldier after Israel refused to negotiate a swap of the soldier for Palestinian prisoners, who are estimated to number about 8 000.
- AP
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