Damascus, Syria: Hamas political leader Khaled Mashaal on Monday insisted that Israel must free Palestinian prisoners to win the release of an Israeli soldier captured by Hamas-linked Palestinian militants.
Hours earlier, tens of thousands of demonstrators marched in the Syrian capital in a government-sanctioned protest against Israel's ground offensive in the Gaza Strip.
Mashaal spoke at his first public appearance since Israel threatened to kill him after the soldier was seized in a cross-border raid on June 25. Israel claims Mashaal ordered the operation.
''The Palestinian people are united on insisting that the (Israeli) prisoner soldier be traded for (Palestinian) prisoners in Israeli jails,'' he told a news conference, reiterating Hamas demands.
Israel has rejected such a deal.
Israeli's 13-day-old assault on Gaza has caused widespread destruction, left 51 Palestinians dead and led to international complaints that Israel was using excessive force.
Mashaal accused Israel and the US of providing the ''ugliest example of terrorism'' against Palestinians, saying that Israel was breaking international law.
He also criticised the West for keeping silent on Israel's ground offensive in the Gaza Strip.
''The Palestinian people are facing consecutive strikes by the Zionist, aggressive and terrorist entity,'' Mashaal said.
Mashaal spoke to journalists at a Damascus hotel's conference room under tight security. Journalists were taken by buses from a meeting point to the hotel.
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