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Gaza: Militant Hamas on Tuesday threatened Israel with a painful response should the Jewish state attack the Gaza Strip, a Hamas spokesperson said.
"The Israelis will suffer heavy losses if they launch a wide-scale offensive," said Abu Obeida, a spokesman for the Hamas-militant wing Qassam brigades.
"We shall not have mercy on the tanks and on the soldiers. They will all be in the range of fire," Palestinian website Al Madar quoted Obeida as saying.
According to the website, Obeida also warned that Hamas may kill kidnapped Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit should Israel attack. Hamas, however, later denied this report.
Hamas militants kidnapped Shalit 10 months ago, aiming to exchange him for Palestinian militants jailed in Israel. Shalit's abduction triggered the deadly month-long war between Israel and Hezbollah guerrillas last year.
Another Palestinian group, Popular Resistance Committees, warned that any Israeli operation in the Gaza Strip will "not be a field trip", according to media reports.
Soldiers will return to their families "tidy, but in coffins", said Abu Abir, a spokesperson for the group. He also promised to greet Israeli planes with "new weapons".
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