Abducted soldier alive as Abbas appeals for talks to continue

The soldier whose abduction sparked Israel's invasion of Gaza is alive and in stable condition, a Palestinian official said Saturday, as President Mahmoud Abbas warned that the coming hours were "critical, sensitive and serious" to resolving the crisis.

Photo: Abducted soldier alive as Abbas appeals for talks to continue

Israeli soldiers and Palestinian militants exchanged fire for several hours Saturday afternoon when Israeli tanks and bulldozers crossed the border with Gaza and began razing farmland east of the town of Khan Younis.

Militants shot an anti-tank rocket at one of the vehicles. The army responded with gunfire and a missile launched from an unmanned plane. No major injuries were reported on either side.

The fighting took place north of the position Israeli troops have occupied since they entered Gaza on Wednesday. The army said it was carrying out a limited operation in the area and the soldiers were expected to leave soon.

No sign has been seen of Cpl. Gilad Shalit, 19, since he was abducted a week ago during a militant raid on an Israeli army post just outside Gaza that killed two soldiers and two of the attackers.

The Hamas-affiliated militants holding Shalit initially said they would trade information about him for all Palestinian women and underage prisoners being held in Israeli jails. The militants raised their demands Saturday, calling for an end to the Israeli offensive and the release of 1,000 additional prisoners held by Israel, including non-Palestinian Muslims and Arabs.

The new demand appeared aimed at rallying support in the Arab world.

Israel has ruled out any compromise with the kidnappers, saying it would only encourage more abductions.

Israel has also blamed Syria for the kidnapping, arguing that it harbors Hamas' top leaders, who are based in Damascus, reports AP.

O.Ch.