By Xinhua
Gaza : Hamas's armed wing, the Ezz El Deen Al Qassam Brigades, released an audio message Monday, from Israeli captive, Corporal Gilad Shalit to mark one year of his abduction.
The message said, "I'm the soldier Gilad Naom Shalit, held by Martyr Ezz El Deen Al Qassam Brigades. Dad, Mom… Brothers and sisters… My colleagues in the Israeli Defence Forces; I send you greetings from my jail, and I'm yearning to see all of you. I have completed a year in captivity; my health condition is deteriorating and I need chronic treatment in hospital.
"I'm sorry that the Israeli government and the IDF are not interested in my case and their neglecting of al-Qassam's demands though they should comply with the demands to get me freed from my prison, especially as I am on a military mission with a military order. I am not a drug dealer.
"Thousands of Palestinian prisoners have mothers and fathers as I do and they must reunite with them. My hope is big that my government will take care of me and respond to the Mujahedeen's demands," said Shalit in his message.
Earlier, a spokesman for the captors said Shalit was alive and healthy.
This is the first time that Hamas has released a recorded message since its armed wing kidnapped Shalit in an armed attack on an Israeli army base in the Gaza Strip.
Hamas, the Popular Resistance Committees (PRC) and the Army of Islam still stick to their demands to exchange the soldier for a number of Palestinian prisoners, said Abu Mujahed, the PRC spokesman.
The three groups kidnapped the Israeli Corporal in a cross border raid on his military base just a few kilometres behind the security fence between Israel and Gaza.
The factions "insist on their humanitarian demands of freeing female prisoners, children, patients, old, leaders of factions and those who face long sentences", Abu Mujahed said.
He accused the Israeli government of blocking the progress on Shalit's case by not dealing seriously with the offers that the factions sent through Egyptian mediators.