Hamas issued a statement to reporters Monday in support of capturing Israeli soldiers in order to use them as bargaining chips in negotiating the release of Palestinian prisoners.
"We believe that kidnapping soldiers and exchanging them for prisoners is the best solution for releasing our heroes, after the failure of all the diplomatic channels."
Several thousand Palestinians gathered outside the Red Cross office in Gaza on Monday to call for the release of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli prisons.
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This year's rally came as negotiations continued for a prisoner swap in return for Israel Defense Forces soldier Gilad Shalit, who was captured by Hamas-linked militants last June. Shalit's captors have demanded the release of hundreds of Palestinians, including prisoners convicted for the murders of Israelis.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/849024.html