Israel could mount military raid to free soldier: Barak

Defence Minister Ehud Barak has raised the possibility of Israel launching a military operation to free soldier Gilad Shalit who has been held by Palestinian militants in Gaza since 2006.

Defence Minister Ehud Barak has raised the possibility of Israel launching a military operation to free soldier Gilad Shalit who has been held by Palestinian militants in Gaza since 2006.

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"We will do everything necessary and possible, even if it means dangerous operations" to release the captured soldier, Barak told a meeting at Tel Aviv University, as broadcast by army radio.

The defence minister said negotiations were not the only means to secure Shalit's release, which was a "moral and professional duty."

Shalit was captured in June 2006 on the edge of the Gaza Strip by several militant groups, including the Islamist movement Hamas which has been in control of the territory since mid-2007.

In return for his release, Hamas demands the release of 1,400 Palestinian prisoners, including hundreds of detainees held for bloody attacks on Israel, a condition the Jewish state rejects.

Egypt has for months tried to mediate a prisoner exchange but its efforts remain deadlocked.