An Israeli terror group called “Gilad Shalhevet Brigades” claimed responsibility for the kidnapping of two Palestinian residents of Jerusalem, and says it will not release them unless Palestinians holding Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit release him, Ynet News reported Saturday.
Jerusalem District Police said they will investigate the group’s claim.
A statement issued by the extremist group, and received Thursday by Ynet News, said: “For your information, a few minutes ago we kidnapped two Palestinian workers in the Jerusalem area. The two are being held in a hidden location and we will conduct negotiation for their release through the media.
“We demand the immediate release of the kidnapped (Israeli) soldiers; if they will not be released within the next 48 hours, the lives of the Palestinians will be in danger.”
Negotiations with the terror group were to be made through the media, ynetnews.com said.
Israel has rejected demands by Palestinian resistance fighters holding the kidnapped Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit to end the current offensive in Gaza Strip and release all Palestinian women and children held in Israeli jails in exchange for Shalit's freedom.
"Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has reiterated that there will be no deals, that either Shalit will be released or we will act to bring about his release," Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Mark Regev was quoted earlier as saying.
2 Palestinians killed
Israel launched new series of airstrikes on Gaza Strip Saturday, killing two people, officials said.
One strike targeted a house in Gaza, killing two people and injuring several others including young children, according to Palestinian sources.
The Israeli army claimed that the building was a Hamas rocket workshop.
Another strike hit offices of the Hamas-controlled Economy Ministry, setting it ablaze.
Another Israeli air raid destroyed a bridge near the Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza.
"Disproportionate" offensive
The Non-Aligned Movement denounced Israel’s "disproportionate" use of force in Gaza, calling for the revival of the so-called roadmap peace plan.
"We condemn Israel's use of disproportionate force in Gaza, which has caused needless deaths and destruction," said the chair of the 116-nation grouping, Malaysia's Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, noting that Israel's persistent raids and detention of Palestinian officials were undermining the peace process.
"These actions are further derailing the peace process and undermining the work of Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas ... aimed at promoting a final political settlement on the basis of a two-state solution," Abdullah said in a message to the annual Group of Eight summit in Russia, to be held in Saint Petersburg, bringing together the leaders of the United States, Russia, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan.
"We would urge the G8, several of whose members are also members of the international quartet and the UN Security Council, to make serious efforts to resuscitate the 'road-map'," said Abdullah.
"This still represents the best hope for progress towards a final settlement of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict," he said.