CAIRO Islamic Jihad chief Ziad al-Nakhala said on Sunday that his faction was holding captive more than 30 of the Israelis who were abducted in the Gaza Strip since Saturday after Hamas launched attacks on Israel.

The captives will not be repatriated "till all of our prisoners are released," al-Nakhala added, referring to thousands of Palestinians who are in Israeli prisons.

(Reporting by Nidal Al Mughrabi, Ali Sawafta, writing by Muhammad Al Gebaly; Editing by Bernadette Baum)