Israel rejects demands to free 1,000 prisoners

JERUSALEM, July 1: Israel today rejected demands from Palestinian militants who captured an Israeli soldier to free 1,000 prisoners and end an assault on Gaza aimed at winning his release.

The militants seized Corporal Gilad Shalit in a raid across the Gaza Strip's frontier last Sunday.

''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,'' said Foreign Ministry spokesman Mark Regev, responding to the fresh demands.

A statement from the militant groups did not specify that releasing the 1,000 ''Palestinian, Arab and Muslim prisoners'' would be in exchange for Shalit's freedom.

But a spokesman for the Hamas armed wing, one of the three groups that captured Shalit, said that was what it meant.

Israel has said repeatedly that it will not consider releasing prisoners in exchange for the 19-year-old tank gunner.

REUTERS