The Popular Resistance Committees (PRC), one of three factions that abducted an Israeli soldier on June 25, said that if Israel expands its invasion and military assaults in the Gaza Strip, there will be no further talks on the release of the captured soldier.
The Committee added that such an expanded assault will cause collapse all efforts conducted to strike a prisoner swap deal.
The recent statements came after the Israeli Army Chief of Staff, Dan Halutz, stated on Sunday that the Israeli army is weighing the possibility of expanding the military operations in the Gaza Strip “in order to halt the firing of Qassam homemade shells” at Israeli settlements in adjacent to the Gaza Strip.
Abu Mojahid, media spokesperson of the PRC, said that the groups will close the file of the abducted soldier if Israel expands its attacks.
“If the Zionist enemy decides to expand its assaults, we will close this file”, Abu Mojahid stated, “If they invade Gaza, even if they annihilate it, they will not retrieve their soldier”.
Meanwhile, Al Arabiyya satellite channel reported that the Egyptian Foreign Minister, Ahmad Abu Al Gheit, said that the Palestinians rejected an Israeli offer for the release of the soldier; Abu Al Gheit did not elaborate on the issue.
On June 25, the PRC and three other factions, attacked an Israeli military posts near the Gaza borders, and abducted one Israeli soldier identified as Gilad Shalit; two soldiers and two fighters were killed in the attack.
Israel rejected the demanded of the resistance factions to release Palestinian detainees, especially the sick, women and child detainees in exchange for the release of the soldier, and kicked off its “Summer Rains” offensive.
