A kidnapped Israeli taxi-driver who was freed in a midnight commando raid was greeted with a street party Wednesday, as speculation grew that his captors were common criminals rather than Palestinian militants. The abduction last week of 61-year-old Eliyahu Goral had raised tensions as Israelis and Palestinians have been working to maintain a fragile cease-fire declared June 29. The Israeli army said Wednesday that the kidnappers’ ties to Palestinian terrorists were “unclear.” Israel TV reported they were criminals trying to pass their captive on to militants, but no group agreed to take Goral from them. Goral’s release helped reduce fears the cease-fire could collapse after a Palestinian group claimed responsibility for the fatal stabbing of an Israeli in Tel Aviv and Israel’s foreign minister warned that Palestinian officials were running out of time to disarm militants. Full Story
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