GAZA, July 16 (Xinhua) -- The Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) Sunday called on the captors of an Israeli soldier to save his life before Israel met the Palestinians demand for prisoner swap.

    "The life of the soldier must be maintained before the enemy meet humanitarian and political demands of the Palestinian people," said Salah Bardaweel, spokesman for Hamas parliamentary bloc. He said that prisoner swap was the only way toward the release of the Israeli soldier.

    Three Palestinian militant groups including Izz el-Deen al-Qassam Brigades, armed wing of the ruling Hamas movement, snatched the Israeli soldier in a deadly cross-border raid on an Israeli army post on June 25.

    The kidnappers conditioned returning of the captive soldier on the release of 1,000 Palestinian and Arab prisoners in Israeli jails, which was rejected by Israel. Enditem