'If our demands are rejected, Shalit won't see light of day'

Hamas also marked the fifth year anniversary of the abduction of Gilad Shalit this weekend. The organization's armed wing, the Izzedine al-Qassam brigades, issued a statement saying, "Gilad Shalit is a soldier who was dispatched to kill Palestinians and he will not see the light of day as long as Palestinian prisoners held in Zionist jails do not see the light of day."

The Hamas military wing also disseminated a video clip comparing Gilad Shalit and missing Israel Air Force navigator, Ron Arad, who ejected from his airplane over Lebanon in 1986, was captured, and whose whereabouts have long been unknown. "The fate of the abducted soldier will be the same as that of the missing navigator as long as Israel does not accept Hamas' terms for Gilad's release."

Hamas spokesman, Sami Abu Zuhri responded over the weekend to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's announcement saying he will revoke privileges given to Palestinian security prisoners in Israeli jails. "It is a violation of international and humanitarian law, Zuhri said. "The international community must intervene as it is a blatant attempt on Netanyahu's part to cover up his failure to achieve a prisoner exchange deal."

The Popular Resistance Committee in Gaza made an announcement marking the fifth anniversary of Shalit's abduction. "Despite the abundance of collaborators working on behalf of the Zionist army in Gaza, Israeli intelligence still does not know the whereabouts of the captured soldier. Even their chief of staff has admitted it," their spokesman stated.