Special report: Israel holds back military response

        Special report: New violence between Israel, Palestine

    RAMALLAH, June 26 (Xinhua) -- Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat warned on Monday of a possible Israeli reoccupation of the Gaza Strip in the wake of the kidnapping of an Israeli soldier on Sunday.

    "The situation is really dangerous, we might face not only a large-scale military operation, but also reoccupation of the Gaza Strip," Erekat told the Voice of Palestine.

    He said that President Mahmoud Abbas, who was in Gaza at the moment, has been holding "intensive and multi-level contacts" with Arab leaders and the Middle East quartet comprising the United States, the European Union, Russia and the United Nations.

    Erekat went on to say that Israel contacted the Palestinian National Authority via a third party, saying that "they (Israelis) contacted the U.S., which, in return, contacted us and also contacted Spain and the EU."

    An Israeli soldier was abducted in an attack launched by eight Palestinian militants from three armed groups on an Israeli army post near Kerem Shalom crossing on the Gaza-Israel border on Sunday, in which two Israeli soldiers were killed and four others wounded.

    Hamas' armed wing Izz el-Deen al-Qassam Brigades, the leftist Popular Resistance Committees and the little-known Islamic Army jointly claimed responsibility for the fierce attack.

    The Israeli army said that the missing soldier was still alive, vowing to spare no effort to secure his safe return. In the wake of the deadly attack, Israeli troops invaded the Gaza Strip in the largest intrusion since Israel pulled out forces and settlers from the Gaza Strip last summer after a 38-year-long presence there.

    Erekat also urged the abductors to keep the soldier alive to avoid an imminent Israeli military operation on the Gaza Strip. Enditem