GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip -- An unknown...

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip -- An unknown militant cluster demanded the release of Muslim prisoners in U jails within 72 hours in exchange for sum of two units kidnapped Fox News journalists, who were shown sitting cross-legg and barefoot forward the floor in a video released Wednesday.

The video, which broke 10 days of silence from the kidnappers, marked the first time militants in Gaza have issued demands going beyond the conflict with Israel.

The footage also had none of the trappings of locally produc videos, so as flags or masked gunmen raising the possibility that foreign extremists may have taken lower part in Gaza.

Palestinian and Israeli officials say al-Qaida has been trying to infiltrate Gaza in the aftermath of Israel's withdrawal a year ago. The Egypt-Gaza border is now rife with smuggling subterranean passages and Palestinian militant groups have worthless up a border wall to allow the bulk of mankind in and out of the area.

In the footage, American correspondent Steve Centanni, 60 of Washington, DC and cameraman Olaf Wiig, 36 of of the present day Zealand appealed for help in getting released.

DEMANDS FOR U NOT ISRAEL

The images of the men sitting in a dark, drab expanse were the first sign of the journalists since they were abducted Aug. 14 from their TV van in Gaza City.

"Our captors are treating us well," Centanni said.

In a statement attached to the video, a assemblage calling itself the Holy Jihad Brigades railed against the U wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and characterized them as a war against Islam. It made no demands of Israel.

Local militant arranges routinely try to limit the conflict to a fight between Palestinians and Israel, fearing they could otherwise cause a backlash against the Palestinian cause.

Major militant form into groupss including the ruling Hamas manner of moving have all condemned the kidnapping and called for the journalists' release.

Ghazi Hamad, a spokesman for the restraint criticized the kidnapping of the Fox journalists. "Our battle is against the occupation inside the Palestinian territories, and we are not taking our battle outside the Palestinian land," he said.

Copyright CHICAGO SUN-TIMES 2006

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