GAZA, July 3 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian militants who took an Israeli soldier hostage on Monday set Tuesday as the deadline for Israel to meet their demands to free Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.

    "With the Zionist enemy's military aggressions, we give it until 6:00 a.m. (0300 GMT), tomorrow, Tuesday, July 4 (to meet our demands)," said Izz el-Deen al-Qassam Brigades which is Hamas' armed wing, the Popular Resistance Committees (PRC) and the Islamic Army in a joint statement issued on Monday.

    The three militant groups also threatened that Israel would "bear full responsibility for future consequences", without specification.

    The statement, dubbed "Military Statement Number Three", also said, "If the Zionist enemy does not meet our humanitarian demands... we will regard this case as closed."

    The three militant groups, which kidnapped an Israeli soldier during a cross-border raid on June 25, demanded Israel in previous two statements release Palestinian women and minors and 1,000 Palestinian, Arab and Muslim prisoners in Israeli jails in return for information on the abducted soldier.

    Israel has ruled out a prisoner swap, saying it will not negotiate with the Palestinian militants over the fate of the kidnapped 19-year-old Gilad Shalit.

    Israeli troops continued a broad ground offensive in the Gaza Strip on Monday, their first major operation there since Israel pulled out forces and settlers from it last summer after 38 years of occupation. Enditem