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                 Hamas: Israeli Soldier Likely Killed in Strike

   by VOA News

   The armed wing of Hamas say it does not know the whereabouts of an
   Israeli solider that Israel has accused it of abducting, but speculated
   that he was likely killed in an Israeli strike.

   The group said Saturday in a statement it had lost contact with its
   fighters in the southern Gaza Strip where Israel says the soldier was
   abducted.  Hamas said it believes all members of its group in the
   southern Gaza Strip have died in an Israeli strike along with the
   Israeli soldier.

   ''U.S. President Barack Obama has called on Hamas to immediately and
   unconditionally free the soldier to show that Hamas is serious about
   trying to resolve the situation in Gaza.

   At a news conference Friday, Obama repeated that Israel has a right to
   defend itself from Hamas rockets and attacks. But he called the deaths
   of Palestinian civilians heartbreaking and said everything must be done
   to protect them.

   Late Friday, U.S. Congress approved $225 million in emergency funding
   for Israel's Iron Dome missile defense system, sending the measure to
   President Barack Obama to be signed into law.  The House vote was 395
   to 8.

   Early Saturday, an Israeli website said the Iron Dome system has
   intercepted several rockets not long after Hamas said it had fired
   three rockets at Tel Aviv.

   Also Saturday, Palestinian officials say 34 people where killed in
   airstrikes in and around the town of Rafah.

   What was supposed to be a 72-hour cease-fire lasted barely 90 minutes
   Friday before Israel said a suicide bomber attacked Israeli soldiers
   dismantling a tunnel near Rafah.

   Israel says two soldiers were killed and a third kidnapped.

   Hamas blames Israel for breaking the cease-fire.

   Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat says a Palestinian delegation
   will be in Cairo Sunday for talks previously planned talks with
   Israelis. Israel has not yet commented on the upcoming talks, but an
   Egyptian official says the meeting is still on track.

   Palestinians say the three-week Israeli air and ground campaign in Gaza
   has killed about 1,600 Palestinians; mostly civilians. Israel says
   about 60 of its soldiers and three civilians have died.

   Israel demands Gaza be demilitarized and that Hamas rocket attacks on
   Israeli territory stop, while the Palestinians insist Israel and Egypt
   end their blockades of Gaza, which have strangled the Gazan economy and
   keep Palestinians from travelling.

   VOA correspondent Scott Bobb, who is in Gaza, says both sides are
   hardening their positions, and there is no end to the fighting in
   sight.

   "Hamas continues to insist on a complete end to the blockade before it
   will consider a formal, official cease-fire. And Israel insists on the
   demilitarization of Gaza before it will consider lifting any blockade.
   So at the moment, there is no cease-fire," said Bobb.
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References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/hamas-israeli-soldier-killed-in-strike/1970216.html