Israelis Rally For Abducted Soldiers
Ryan R. Jones - All Headline News Middle East Correspondent Jerusalem, Israel (AHN) - Tens of thousands of Israelis gathered in downtown Tel Aviv Thursday evening to call for the immediate release of three Israeli soldiers being held by Palestinian and Lebanese terrorists. The rally was held under the banner "Soldiers Are Not Left Behind." Participants, including the abductees' families and local celebrities, urged the Israeli government and the international community to make haste in securing the freedom of Ehud Goldwasser, Eldad Regev and Gilad Shalit. Goldwasser and Regev, both Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reservists, were kidnapped by Hezbollah along Israel's northern border on July 12, sparking the recent Lebanon war. Shalit, an IDF corporal in an armored battalion, was abducted near the Gaza Strip on June 25 by Palestinian terrorists affiliated with Hamas. That action led to an ongoing IDF anti-terror offensive in the area. All three are said to be alive, though third-hand accounts indicate Regev and Goldwasser are in need of medical attention. Israel had previously demanded their unconditional release, but government officials have lately signaled Jerusalem is open to some kind of prisoner exchange. Hezbollah and Hamas have insisted on the release of thousands of jailed terrorists in return for the three men.
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