Cartoon has message for Israel

GAZA CITY - Hamas released an animated film yesterday bearing a grisly message for Israel: If it doesn't meet the Islamic militant group's demands, an Israeli soldier it has held for nearly four years could return home in a coffin.

The short but sophisticated cartoon - which depicts Sergeant Gilad Shalit's ageing father wandering empty streets with a picture of his son and ends with the words "There is still hope" - is the product of Hamas' growing media machine.

The latest cartoon was remarkable for the personal and callous nature of the appeal on an issue that has profound emotional resonance for many Israelis: The fate of Shalit, who was captured by Gaza militants in June 2006.

- AP