Israel rules out negotiations with soldiers' captors

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert today ruled out negotiations with the Palestinian captors of an Israeli soldier, promising a “broad and ongoing” military offensive in the Gaza Strip.

But even as Israel massed forces along the Gaza border, large-scale military action appeared unlikely. Officials said they were still pursuing a diplomatic solution and conceded a broad attack would threaten the soldier’s life.

After more than 24 hours of silence, the militants holding Cpl. Gilad Shalit issued their first demands today. The groups, all linked the Hamas-led Palestinian government, called for the release of all Palestinian women and children under 18 held in Israeli prisons in return for information about Shalit.

Olmert rejected the demand.

Addressing Jewish leaders in Jerusalem this evening, Olmert charged that yesterday’s Palestinian attack on an Israeli army post at a Gaza crossing and the abduction of the soldier were part of a “murderous, hateful, fanatical Islamic extremist desire to destroy the state of Israel”.

He declared: “This is not a matter of negotiations, this is not a matter of bargaining … release of prisoners is absolutely not on the agenda of the Israeli government.”

Shalit, 19, was seized early yesterday at a military post near the Gaza border by militants who infiltrated into Israel through a tunnel. The attack was the first successful infiltration by militants since Israel withdrew from Gaza in September and immediately threatened to plunge the region into a major flare-up of violence.

Speaking earlier to a tourism conference in Jerusalem, Olmert said he held the entire Palestinian leadership responsible for Shalit’s safety and warned that his patience was wearing thin.

“I gave the orders to our military commanders to prepare the army for a broad and ongoing military operation to strike the terrorist leaders and all those involved,” he said. “It should be clear. There will be immunity for no one.”

Military officials said members of elite brigades and armoured forces, backed by tanks, were sent to the frontier, where thousands of soldiers already are regularly deployed.

With Israeli intelligence showing that Shalit was not seriously wounded, defence officials said there were no immediate plans for a massive ground incursion. Although Israel frequently carries out air raids in Gaza, ground troops have entered the area only three times – all briefly – since last year’s pull-out.

The officials said, however, a limited operation could take place in the coming days. Such operations could include a rescue attempt or a limited mission meant at putting pressure on Hamas to release the soldier.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, a moderate who has repeatedly clashed with Hamas, was working intensely with Egyptian mediators as well as Arab and Western leaders, in hopes of locating the soldier.

Ghazi Hamad, a spokesman for the rival Hamas government, said he had information Shalit was alive and urged his captors to keep him safe. “I think we are interested in avoiding any confrontation or bloodshed,” he said.

The abduction delivered a blow to Abbas’ efforts to coax Hamas into accepting a plan that implicitly recognises Israel. Abbas, elected separately last year, has endorsed the plan in the hope of lifting crippling economic sanctions against Hamas and opening the way for new peace talks.

It also has exposed divisions within Hamas’ ranks. The group maintains separate political and military wings, and political leaders based in Syria are more extreme than many of the leaders in the West Bank and Gaza.

In a closed briefing to a parliamentary committee, Brigadier General Yossi Beidatz, a top Israeli intelligence official, said Hamas’ leaders are divided about what do with the soldier, participants said. He said the more moderate elements, including Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh, consider the soldier a “hot potato” they should get rid of quickly.

Hamad called talk of a split in Hamas “a big lie.” However, he admitted that the political leadership in Gaza, which includes Haniyeh, was not warned ahead of time of the assault plans.

The statement demanding the release of young and female inmates – about 500 people in all – was signed by Hamas’ military wing and two offshoots of the small Popular Resistance Committees, which has strong links to Hamas. It offered information about Shalit, but no guarantees of his safe return.

Abu Mujahid, a spokesman for the PRC, confirmed the authenticity of the statement from the Saladdin Brigade, the Army of Islam and Hamas’ military wing.

Palestinian militants previously have tried to use captured soldiers to win the release of prisoners, though Israel has rarely caved in. Israel has jailed an estimated 8,000 Palestinians, many of them Hamas militants.

In an exclusive interview, a masked member of the “Army of Islam” said the previously unknown group was formed a year ago and that Sunday’s abduction was its first operation.

He said the attack was retribution for Israel’s assassination of two PRC leaders and a beach explosion earlier this month that killed eight civilians. Palestinians have blamed Israel for the blast.

Resembling Iraqi kidnapping videos, the masked man read verses from the Koran and was flanked by two M-16 automatic weapons.

Abu Mujahid said the operation was planned by one of the assassinated leaders, Jamal Abu Samhadana, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike shortly after accepting a senior security position with the Hamas government.

Mark Regev, an Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman, rejected the captors’ demands. “The release of our hostage must be unconditional and immediate,” Regev said.

Shalit was the first Israeli soldier captured by Palestinian militants in 12 years, and the fate of the quiet, bespectacled teen gripped the country. Large pictures of Shalit’s boyish face appeared on the front pages of local newspapers. “Bring Gilad Home,” said the banner headline of Yediot Ahronot, the country’s largest daily.

Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni asked US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan to press Abbas, the Palestinian president, to secure Shalit’s release.

Livni convened an urgent session of foreign ambassadors from UN Security Council member states to urge them to use any leverage with the Palestinian Authority to bring about the soldier’s release, Regev said.

In Tel Aviv, the French Embassy confirmed the soldier holds French citizenship and said Paris was working to win his release.

Shalit’s family broke its silence today to plead with his captors to treat him humanely and to remember he has a loving family who misses him dearly.

Noam Shalit, in an interview, described his son as a quiet, helpful boy who followed his older brother into the military’s armoured corps. “The only thing we have left right now is hope, nothing more,” he said.

In Gaza City and the West Bank town of Ramallah, dozens of relatives of the 8,000 Palestinians held in Israeli prisons urged militants to hold Shalit until Israel agrees to a large-scale release of jailed Palestinians.

“Kidnap a soldier and free 100 in return,” the crowd said. “Twist the Zionists’ arms. Hope they can learn.”