HAMAS DEMANDS 1000 FOR 1

I WOULD SAY THAT THE ODDS OF ISRAEL AGREEING TO THIS ARE MORE THAN 1000 TO 1.

Gaza militants demand 1,000 prisoners for Israeli

GAZA (Reuters) - Palestinian militant factions who captured an Israeli soldier demanded on Saturday that Israel free 1,000 prisoners from its jails and end an assault on Gaza launched to win the soldier's release. A statement from the groups -- the second since Corporal Gilad Shalit was captured in a raid across Gaza's frontier on Sunday -- appeared to cast doubt on the hopes of mediators that diplomacy could soon get him free. Israel has said repeatedly that it will not consider releasing prisoners in exchange for the 19-year-old tank gunner. Israeli officials were not available for comment.

"We are declaring to the public our just and humanitarian demands," said the statement faxed to news agencies by the armed wing of the governing Hamas Islamist group, the Popular Resistance Committees and Army of Islam. It repeated an earlier call to free women prisoners and minors in exchange for information on Shalit -- the group has not said if he is dead or alive -- but also demanded the release of 1,000 "Palestinian, Arab and Muslim prisoners." It said these would have to include all Palestinian faction leaders as well as humanitarian cases.