They're really trying to light up the Middle East:

CNN is reporting it the same way, throwing in some quotes from Hamas members threatening to do really bad things to Shalit. It's been almost a year since Hamas started a disastrous war that devastated Palestinian society but got them lots of sympathy. So since summer is rolling around, it's probably about time for them to try something disastrously stupid again. Olmert didn't respond harshly enough to last year's Hamas kidnapping because he thought he could take his time. He didn't respond harshly enough to last year's Hezbollah kidnapping because a combination of military and diplomatic realities restrained him. If Hamas gives the IDF a chance to clean out the rat's nest that Gaza has become, we expect that the IDF will take it.

It might be a disaster. The Palestinians have spent the last year importing Iranian arms, building an army, and turning their civilian areas into death traps for the IDF. The military situation is certainly the most dire it's been in decades. There's no guarantee, for instance, that a reinvigorated Syria may not get into the mix the way Hezbollah did last summer. But that probably won't stop the IDF from throwing itself into the metaphorical and literal breach.

References:
* IDF: Rocket attacks were cover for attempted infiltration [JPost]
* IDF: Rocket attacks were cover for attempted infiltration [MR]

Previously:
* It's Official: The Internationally-Recognized Palestinian Government Is Holding Gilad Shalit Hostage
* Hamas: Koran Says We Can't Recognize Israel
* Hamas Has A Trained and Armed Military of 7,500 Troops