Stephen Farrell, Middle East correspondent of The Times, says that if its missing soldier turns up dead, Israel will clamp down extremely hard on the Palestinians

"Both sides are leaving all their options open but it’s clear that if this soldier turns up dead, Israel’s government will be under intense pressure to come down very hard on the Hamas-led administration in Gaza.

"The Israeli Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert, has come under widespread criticism in recent weeks for failing to curb Palestinian rocket attacks into Israel from Gaza.

"His government had to call a temporary halt to Israeli artillery fire into Gaza after eight Palestinians were killed during a beach picnic on June 9 – although Israel insists it’s shelling was not responsible - and an intensification of helicopter assassinations also backfired when 14 Palestinian civilians were killed by rockets aimed at militants driving through crowded areas.

"On top of all this, Hamas and other militant groups have successfully struck a hard military target on Israel soil. To then have a soldier kidnapped will have touched a raw nerve in a country which prides itself on the quality of its military and on getting back its boys.

"Israel had made it crystal clear it holds the Hamas-led government, and indeed the entire Palestinian authority, accountable for Gilad Shalit.

"On Sunday night the Israeli government met to discuss their options with indications they planned a series of escalating measures depending primarily on whether the soldier was returned alive or dead, but also, in retaliation for the attack on the military base.

"Mr Olmert said today that Israel was poised for a full scale military operation against Gaza to free Shalit ordering the army to prepare a ''prolonged and extensive military operation" to which no one would be immune.

"The Israeli government’s dilemma is that if it has to send tanks and soldiers back into Gaza it fuels criticism from Binyamin Netamyahu and other hawks who said Israel should never have left Gaza in the first place."

Times Recommends

• Heed the great stabiliser’s words
• How a voice for everyone led to stalemate
• Bakara market becomes a slaughterhouse