1938 Alert from Reuters, with thanks to Sr. Soph:
NIZMIT HILL, Israel (Reuters) – Israel massed tanks and troops near Gaza on Tuesday for a threatened offensive against Palestinian militants and said it would target Hamas leaders if an abducted soldier was not freed.
In northern Gaza, Palestinians blocked roads with dirt and barbed wire. Militants wielding automatic rifles and anti-tank rockets rigged explosive devices along a road as tensions hit their highest since Israel quit Gaza nearly a year ago.
The United States urged Israel to give diplomatic negotiations a chance to win the release of Corporal Gilad Shalit, who was seized on Sunday by militants who also killed two soldiers in a raid on an army border post.
“Diplomatic negotiations”: i.e., concessions.