Special report: Israel launches Gaza assault

    GAZA, July 2 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian militant groups, which hold an abducted Israeli soldier, have rejected Egyptian suggestions to release the captive, a senior member of the ruling Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) said on Sunday.

    Osama Muzini told reporters that "the Egyptian brothers have presented a number of proposals for the factions of resistance, but these offers didn't meet the fair demands that the factions wanted."

    He revealed that the Egyptian offer was about the release of the Israeli soldier in exchange for promises to release Palestinian prisoners in the near future under Egyptian guarantees.

    However, the kidnappers gave preconditions for the release of the captive soldier, urging for Israel's immediate release of younger and female prisoners in its prisons.

    "The demands also included the halt of all forms of aggression that the Zionist military forces exert against our civilians," said Muzini.

    The Israeli soldier named Gilad Shalit was snatched by three Palestinian militant groups in a deadly attack on an Israeli army post near the Gaza border on June 25, during which two Israeli soldiers were killed and four wounded.

    Israel has already rejected the militants' demand to free imprisoned Palestinian women and minors. Its troops continued abroad ground offensive in Gaza on early Saturday in a bid to rescue Shalit.

    It is the first major Israeli military ground operation in the Gaza Strip since Israel pulled out soldiers and settlers from it last summer after 38 years of occupation. Enditem