Israel warns: free soldier or PM dies

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Assassination? You're soaking in it.

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,19645805-601,00.html
The Australian — News
Israel warns: free soldier or PM dies
Middle East correspondent Martin Chulov
July 01, 2006
ISRAEL last night threatened to assassinate Palestinian Prime Minister Ismael Haniyeh if Hamas militants did not release a captured Israeli soldier unharmed.

The unprecedented warning was delivered to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in a letter as Israel debated a deal offered by Hamas to free Corporal Gilad Shalit.

It came as Israeli military officials readied a second invasion force for a huge offensive into Gaza.

Hamas's Gaza-based political leaders, including Mr Haniyeh, had already gone into hiding.

But last night's direct threat to kill Mr Haniyeh, a democratically elected head of state, sharply raised the stakes.

 

[Annie]

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1150885884391&pagename=JPost/JPArticle/Printer

Hamas threatens Israeli infrastructure
Khaled Abu Toameh, THE JERUSALEM POST Jun. 30, 2006

Israel has not ruled out the possibility of releasing Palestinian prisoners in exchange for kidnapped IDF soldier Gilad Shalit, Hamas legislator Salah al-Bardaweel said on Sunday.

But Bardaweel's comments stand in stark contrast to the unequivocal comments made Sunday in the weekly cabinet meeting by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Chief of General Staff Lt.-Gen Dan Halutz, and head of Military Intelligence Maj.-Gen. Amos Yadlin, who all said that Israel would not release prisoners for Shalit because this would only encourage more and more kidnapping attempts.

# To view readers' prayers for Gilad, click here

Meanwhile, Hamas's armed wing, Izaddin al-Kassam, on Sunday threatened to attack infrastructure facilities inside Israel, including schools, hospitals and universities. The threat, the first of its kind since Hamas won the parliamentary election last January, was issued in response to continued Israeli military strikes in the Gaza Strip.

"If they continue with these attacks, we will strike at targets in Zionist territory that we have not struck until now," said the organization's spokesman.

The latest threat came as Egypt continued its efforts to resolve the crisis...

 

[rtwngAvngr]

This thing is getting ugly.