A PALESTINIAN LEADER ON TUESDAY SAID A CAPTURED ISRAELI SOLDIER IS BEING HELD IN A «SECURE PLACE.» HE SAID HIS GROUP HAD SEIZED A JEWISH SETTLER IN THE WEST BANK _ A CLAIM THAT ISRAELI POLICE SAID THEY WERE TAKING SERIOUSLY. THE NEW CLAIMS CAME FROM THE POPULAR RESISTANCE COMMITTEES. THE PRC WAS ONE OF THREE GROUPS THAT PARTICIPATED IN SUNDAY'S CROSS-BORDER INFILTRATION NEAR GAZA IN WHICH MILITANTS KILLED TWO ISRAELI SOLDIERS AND ABDUCTED CPL. GILAD SHALIT. «THE SOLDIER IS IN A SECURE PLACE THAT THE ZIONISTS CANNOT REACH,» SAID PRC SPOKESMAN MOHAMMED ABDEL AL. THE KIDNAPPERS HAVE NOT SAID WHERE SHALIT IS BEING HELD OR RELEASED ANY PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE 19-YEAR-OLD SOLDIER, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS REPORTED. ABDEL AL ALSO SAID HIS GROUP HAD TAKEN A JEWISH SETTLER IN THE WEST BANK HOSTAGE. ISRAEL RADIO REPORTED THE SETTLER HAD BEEN HITCHHIKING MONDAY NIGHT AND FAILED TO RETURN HOME. «WE'RE LOOKING INTO REPORTS OF A MISSING PERSON AND WE'RE RELATING TO THEM VERY SERIOUSLY,» SAID POLICE SPOKESMAN MICKY ROSENFELD. ABDEL AL SAID THE RELEASE OF FURTHER INFORMATION WOULD DEPEND ON ISRAEL. «THE ZIONISTS ARE LOOKING FOR ANY INFORMATION. WE REMIND THEM THERE IS NOTHING FOR FREE,» HE TOLD REPORTERS IN GAZA STRIP. 27/06/2006 15:16 ت م
