Monday, July 3 2006 17:51 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Gaza: Three Palestinian militant groups, who abducted an Israeli soldier, have set Tuesday as the deadline for Israel to meet their demand of freeing Palestinian prisoners.

The three militant groups, the Izz el-Deen al-Qassam Brigades which is Hamas' armed wing, the Popular Resistance Committees (PRC) and the Islamic Army, threatened that Israel would 'bear full responsibility for future consequences', without specification.

"With the Zionist enemy's military aggressions, we give it until 6.00 a.m. (0300 GMT), Tuesday, July 4 (to meet our demands)," said a joint statement issued Monday.

The statement also said, "If the Zionist enemy does not meet our humanitarian demands, we will regard this case as closed." The militants had kidnapped an Israeli soldier during a cross-border raid on June 25. In two previous statements, they had demanded that Israel release Palestinian women and minors; and 1,000 Palestinian, Arab and Muslim prisoners in Israeli jails in return for information on the abducted soldier. Israel has ruled out a prisoner swap, saying it will not negotiate with the Palestinian militants over the fate of the kidnapped 19-year-old Gilad Shalit. Israeli troops continued a broad ground offensive in the Gaza Strip Monday, their first major operation there since Israel pulled out forces and settlers from it last summer after 38 years of occupation.