Palestinian militants who took an Israeli soldier hostage on Monday set Tuesday as the deadline for Israel to meet their demands to free Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.

"With the Zionist enemy's military aggressions, we give it until 6:00 a.m. (0300 GMT), tomorrow, Tuesday, July 4 (to meet our demands)," said Izz el-Deen al-Qassam Brigades which is Hamas' armed wing, the Popular Resistance Committees (PRC) and the Islamic Army in a joint statement issued on Monday.

The three militant groups also threatened that Israel would " bear full responsibility for future consequences", without specification.

The statement, dubbed "Military Statement Number Three", also said, "If the Zionist enemy does not meet our humanitarian demands. .. we will regard this case as closed."

The three militant groups, which kidnapped an Israeli soldier during a cross-border raid on June 25, demanded Israel in previous two statements 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 so far rejected 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 on Monday, their first major operation there since Israel pulled out forces and settlers from it last summer after 38 years of occupation.

Palestinian security sources and witnesses said that two Israeli army tanks and two bulldozers rolled about 800 meters into an area near the northern Gaza town of Beit Hanoun on early Monday.

The witnesses said that the Israeli army intruded into a non- populated agricultural area and that intensive gunfire was heard.

Meanwhile, an Israeli army spokesman confirmed an clash between Israeli forces and two Palestinian militants in northern Gaza, adding that one Palestinian militant was killed and another managed to escape.

Israel launched an large-scale ground operation, dubbed "Summer Rain", in the Gaza Strip on June 28 in a bid to secure the return of Shalit who was believed to be held by Gazan gunmen.

Israel has so far withheld a large intrusion into the northern Gaza Strip.

Source: Xinhua