Militant says Israeli soldier in ‘secure place’

Israel’s Channel 2 TV reported that international mediators involved in talks with the kidnappers had given up, saying negotiations were going nowhere. An Egyptian official concurred that talks with Hamas officials in Gaza were “on hold,” but insisted negotiations were still taking place with Hamas leaders in Syria.

Egyptian officials said their government asked Hamas to release the soldier and deployed 2,500 extra soldiers along the border with Gaza to prevent an influx of Palestinians if Israel invaded. Egypt also imposed a nighttime curfew on residents along the border.

Egypt’s intelligence chief, Omar Suleiman, urged Hamas’ Syria-based leader, Khaled Mashaal, to push for Shalit’s release, the officials said on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation.

Gaza crossings shut down
Shalit’s abduction has exposed rifts between Hamas hard-liners such as Mashaal and its local leadership in Gaza, which has shown a greater willingness to compromise.

Israel has clamped a tight closure on Gaza that prevents merchants from leaving and fishermen from sailing off the Mediterranean coast, the army said. It also closed all crossings into Gaza.

Hundreds of Palestinians were stranded on the Egyptian side of the border at the Rafah crossing, said the director of security at the Palestinian crossings, Salim Abu Safiah.

Anticipating an invasion, Palestinian militants piled up sand on roads near the border and in Gaza City.

“They have to think a thousand times before committing any stupid acts and going forward with steps that will lead them to hell,” Hamas’ military wing said in a statement.

Abbas, a moderate, has been trying to coax Hamas into endorsing a document that calls for a Palestinian state alongside Israel, in effect recognizing the Jewish state. He said the proposal, put forth by Palestinians jailed by Israel, could help end Western and Israeli sanctions and pave the way to reopening peace talks.

“We have an agreement over the document,” said Ibrahim Abu Najah, coordinator of the “national dialogue” over the proposal.

Fatah and Hamas negotiators in Gaza said they had reached agreement in which all parties accepted the document, calling the deal a breakthrough. But exiled Hamas leaders in Syria said the deal was not complete.

“Dialogue achieved major progress, and we hope within the next few days we will reach agreement on a joint agenda, but not today,” Moussa Abu Marzouk, a top Hamas official, said in Damascus.

New militant group?
One of the group’s that participated in Sunday’s abduction was the Army of Islam, a previously unknown group with ties to the PRC.

The group issued a videotaped statement Tuesday by one of the attackers who was killed during the operation. The militant, Mohammed Farawana, poses with a rifle in front of a large black flag and a sword with the words “Army of Islam.”

“I swear to God to fight the nonbelievers and the Jews on the land of Palestine after God told me to be a member of the Islam Army,” Farawana said.

As he posed, a small corner of the screen showed an old video speech by Osama bin Laden. However, Farawana made no mention of al-Qaida in his statement, and there was no evidence the network was involved in Sunday’s attack.

Israeli officials have repeatedly warned that al-Qaida is trying to infiltrate Gaza.

In an interview with The Associated Press, Farawana’s brother, Abualmajd, said they had never heard of the Army of Islam and had no idea Mohammed had been recruited.

“We were surprised to hear that name,” he said.

Abduction freezes Israel
Shalit was the first Israeli soldier captured by Palestinian militants in 12 years, and the fate of the quiet, bespectacled teen gripped the country and its news outlets.

Large pictures of Shalit’s boyish face appeared on the front pages of local newspapers. “Free Gilad,” said the banner headline of Yediot Ahronot, the country’s largest daily.

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 on Monday 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 with Associated Press Television, described his son as a quiet, helpful boy who followed his older brother into the military’s armored corps.

“The only thing we have left right now is hope, nothing more,” he said.

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