Special Report: Palestine-Israel Conflicts         

    GAZA, March 28 (Xinhua) -- Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Islamic Hamas movement, threatened on Saturday to kidnap more Israeli soldiers to exchange for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.

    Ra'ed al-Attar, a member of the high military council of the group told reporters that "if Israel does not accept the demands to free 1,450 prisoners for captive Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, al-Qassam would kidnap more soldiers."

    Hamas and two other Gaza armed groups kidnapped Shalit in an armed attack on an Israeli military base southeast Gaza Strip in the summer of 2006. Hamas asks for the release of 1,450 prisoners for freeing Shalit.

    "Hamas movement is not intending to make any concessions concerning its demands to finalize the prisoners exchange deal, and if this soldier (Shalit) is not enough, we would kidnap more," said al-Attar.

    The senior militant leader said his movement took responsibility for releasing all Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, adding "we won't be comfortable until all those prisoners are freed."

    Meanwhile, a senior Hamas leader in Gaza said earlier that a prisoners exchange deal with Israel to free Shalit for 1,450 prisoners "will be finalized sooner or later."

    "If the deal is not finalized within this week, it will be finalized later," said Fathi Hamad, a Hamas lawmaker in Gaza, adding that Hamas hasn't changed or modified its demands to free the Palestinian prisoners.

    Earlier Saturday, Gaza-based news websites reported that by Saturday night, it will be only 27 hours for the deal, either to be finalized and the Palestinian prisoners will enjoy freedom, or the talks would fail again.

    The indirect talks between Hamas and Israel to conclude the prisoners exchange deal have been led by Egypt, who also mediates an inter-Palestinian reconciliation agreement among rival Palestinian groups.