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Gilad Shalit
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Hamas releases Shalit message

One year after his abduction, Hamas releases audio message by kidnapped Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit on which he says his health is deteriorating and he is in need of medical attention

Kidnapped Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit said in audio message on Hamas website that his health is deteriorating and that he requires hospitalization.

 

Shalit, captured on June 25, 2006, by gunmen who tunnelled into Israel from the Gaza Strip, has not been heard from since he was spirited into the Palestinian territory, except for a hand-written letter to his parents.

 

Earlier Monday, Palestinian gunmen involved in the kidnapping said Shalit was in good health and was being treated well.

 

Also Monday, an Israeli human rights group accused the captors of Cpl. Gilad Shalit of war crimes, noting their refusal to allow Red Cross workers to visit the young

man.

 

"Shalit is alive and in very good shape," said Abu Mujahid, a spokesman for the Popular Resistance Committees, one of three groups that captured Shalit.

 

"His health is good and he's stable. We are treating him according to our religion's instructions on how to deal with war prisoners."

 

'Shalit's family should pressure government'  

Abu Mujahid said Shalit "Doesn't need anything" and is receiving the "best treatment."

The militants called for Shalit's family to put pressure on the Israeli government to release Palestinian prisoners in exchange for freeing Shalit. Shalit's father, Noam, said

Sunday at a rally calling for his release that the government was not doing enough to bring him home.

 

If Israel wants Shalit freed, the government should agree to release Palestinian prisoners who are women, children, elderly, sick, leaders of factions and people serving long

sentences, Abu Mujahid said.

 

Israel has agreed to a prisoner swap in principle, but balked at some of the Palestinian demands for the number and type of prisoners to be freed.

 

Captors accused of war crimes  

Meanwhile, the Israeli human rights group B'Tselem accused the militants holding Shalit of war crimes.

"International humanitarian law absolutely prohibits taking and holding a person by force in order to compel the enemy to meet certain demands, while threatening to harm or kill the person if the demands are not met," the group said. "Furthermore, hostage-taking is considered a war crime."

 

Hamas is responsible for securing Shalit's release since it effectively controls the security situation in Gaza, B'Tselem said. The militants holding the soldier have violated international law further by not allowing Red Cross representatives to visit him, the group said.

 

Reuters and AP contributed to this report

 


פרסום ראשון: 06.25.07, 12:14
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