GAZA, Oct 2: Palestinian militants who seized an Israeli soldier in June warned Israel on Monday against trying to free him by force, and Egypt said Gilad Shalit’s captors had rejected a deal to swap him for 1,000 Palestinian prisoners.

The militants, known as the Popular Resistance Committees, said stalled talks aimed at freeing Corporal Shalit had resumed but offered no details.

“If the Zionist enemy decided to enter Gaza in a large scale raid, the file of the soldier may get closed again,” said Popular Resistance Committees spokesman Abu Mujahed.

“If they enter Gaza and kill people or even if they eliminate all Gazans, they will never regain their soldier.”

Egypt said it had secured agreement with Israel for a prisoner swap but the militants had turned it down.

“Egypt succeeded in securing a swap deal with Israel to free (Palestinian) women, children, elders and those who have been serving long prison terms in exchange for the soldier,” Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit told Dubai-based Al Arabiya television in an interview aired on Monday.

“A deal that could have guaranteed freeing 900-1,000 prisoners— but sadly they have decided to keep holding him (Shalit),” said Aboul Gheit.

Egypt has been trying to broker a deal for the release of Shalit, who was seized in a cross-border raid from the southern Gaza Strip on June 25.—Reuters