Israeli soldier 'to be released'

ITV | July 27 2006

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas claims the release of an Israeli soldier whose kidnapping sparked the current crisis in the Gaza Strip is "imminent".

However the armed wing of the Hamas militant group dismissed the claim and said: "Nothing has changed in the case of the Israeli soldier,"

"The file remains in the hands of the resistance factions and not in the hands of any politician."

The Israeli offensive in Gaza in response to the kidnapping of soldier Gilad Shalit has been largely overshadowed by action in Lebanon.

At least 148 Palestinians have been killed in the assault. Gaza fighting has claimed three lives today, a day after fighting left 24 Palestinians dead, Palestinian medical workers said.

Israeli ground troops entered Gaza on June 28, less than a year after they had withdrawn following a 38-year occupation and three days after Palestinian militants crossed into southern Israel and captured 19-year-old Corporal Shalit.

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Defence Minister Amir Peretz gave the green light to additional military movements in Gaza to free the soldier and stop Palestinian rocket attacks.

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