Haniyeh says Hamas won't give into Israeli demands

In his first public address since Israel began its offensive into the Gaza Strip, Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas today said his government would not cave into Israeli demands but said he was working hard to end a five-day-old crisis with Israel.

Though Haniyeh did not directly address Israel’s demand that Palestinian militants hand over an abducted Israeli soldier, he implied that the government would not trade him for eight Cabinet ministers and 56 other Hamas officials arrested yesterday.