"Capturing Israeli soldiers is an open option for all military wings of the Palestinian factions," the al-Quds Brigades of the Islamic Jihad movement said in a statement.

The statement referred to a prisoner exchange that took place in July between Israel and the Lebanese Hezbollah group, saying such swaps "proved their effectiveness in forcing the Israeli governments to respond to the captors' demands."

The statement also praised the capturing of an Israeli soldier by Hamas and two other groups in a raid across the Gaza Strip border in 2006.

It said that the abduction of Israeli Corporal Gilad Shalit was "clear evidence that the resistance groups are able to free the more than 11,000 prisoners Israel holds."

Hamas demands that Israel release 1,000 political prisoners, in addition to all the jailed women, children, elderly and sick Palestinians it is holding.

The statement criticized an Egyptian-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. The ceasefire took place in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip in June.

"The lull provided security for the settlers who live around the Gaza Strip, and the Palestinians did not reap any benefits," the statement said, referring to the halting of Palestinian rocket attacks on Israeli communities around Gaza. (dpa)