What precipitated the capture of the Israeli soldier on June 25, 2006?
The immediate trigger for the capture of the Israeli soldier was a June 9 bombing on a Gaza beach that killed seven members of the Ghalia family. Israel denied responsibility for the bombing, but Human Rights Watch determined that the wounds and shrapnel were consistent with Israeli ordnance. Then, on June 24, Israeli forces abducted Palestinian doctor Osama Muantar and his brother, Mustafa, claiming them to be Hamas members. The June 25 retaliatory raid was jointly mounted by the Izz ed-deen al-Qassam brigade (the military wing of Hamas), the Popular Resistance Committees (a coalition linking members of Fateh, Hamas, and Palestinian Islamic Jihad), and the Army of Islam (a previously unknown group). The groups announced their willingness to release the captured soldier in exchange for the release of all Palestinian women and children held in Israeli prisons. Beginning June 28, Israel has laid siege to the Gaza Strip, closing it almost entirely to travel and trade. Israeli jets bombed
