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Palestinian Terrorists Attack, Kidnap Israelis in Gaza

An attack by Palestinian terrorists on Israeli soldiers in the Gaza Strip left two Israelis dead and a third kidnapped, and was set to spark harsh reprisals from the Jewish state even as neighbor and former foe Egypt engaged in talks with the Hamas-led Palestinian Authority to return the soldier to Israel. Hamas, labeled a terrorist group by the U.S., European Union and Israel, took over the symbol of Palestinian aspirations for statehood in elections earlier this year.

While not outright admitting to the attack and kidnapping, Hamas?s prime minister, Ismail Haniyeh, said that the Palestinian Authority would not provide any information to Israel regarding the whereabouts of the missing soldier without getting something in return. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert of Israel in turn blamed both the Hamas-led PA government and PA president Mahmoud Abbas of the Fatah faction for the attack. Israel pulled thousands of soldiers and civilians from the Gaza Strip last year.

Olmert and Abbas had only last week concluded a meeting under the auspices of King Abdullah II of Jordan and Nobel laureate Elie Wiesel, in which the two regional leaders had embraced and promised to work toward negotiations ? Olmert saying negotiations could go forth once certain conditions of Israel were met, among them recognition by the PA and Hamas of Israel?s right to exist. However, with this attack ? carried out with the help of a tunnel dug by Palestinian terrorists ? as always the future of talks is in doubt once again.