Militants vow to kidnap troops to exchange them for Barghouti

[Gimel]

Militants in the Gaza Strip vowed on Thursday to kidnap Israeli soldiers and exchange them for Wst Bank Tanzim leader Marwan Barghouti following his conviction at the Tel Aviv District Court in the murder of five people in terror attacks.

A Gaza leader of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades - an armed faction of Barghouti's Fatah movement - said the group would make abducting soldiers its "top priority."

Hadash MK Mohammed Barakeh said after leaving the Tel Aviv courthouse that the trial was political and called Barghouti the Palestinian leader.

"Barghouti will be released, and those who imprisoned him will eventually have to hold negotiations with him, because he is the leader of the Palestinian people," said Barakeh.

Terror campaign..