Enlarge Family photo via AP Gilad Shalit, an Israeli soldier was captured at 19. His fate is uncertain. JERUSALEM  Hamas has a feared arsenal of rockets and suicide bombers, but its best bargaining chip in the current war may prove to be a 22-year-old Israeli soldier named Gilad Shalit. The uncertain fate of Shalit, who was abducted by militants at a Gaza border crossing in June 2006, has transfixed Israelis as their aircraft and infantry pounded the area in recent days. His plight has also sparked a debate in Israel about when it is OK to negotiate with terrorists, and whether Shalit's release should be a part of eventual negotiations for a cease-fire. It is not publicly known whether Shalit is still alive. However, Maj. Avital Leibovich, an Israeli military spokeswoman, described him Monday as Hamas' "biggest asset" and said the militant group "will do everything to keep him safe and sound." Public pressure has mounted on the Israeli government to secure Shalit's release, even as the military pursues its broader goal of stopping rocket fire into southern Israel. For months, volunteers have maintained a tent dedicated to Shalit's cause across from the Israeli prime minister's residence. Ron Katzenelson, a 50-year-old who was sitting there Monday, said the current offensive marks a unique chance for Israel to press Hamas for Shalit's freedom. "It's a narrow window that is open now," Katzenelson said. He said the issue was particularly poignant in a country where every man and woman must perform military service. "Tomorrow it could happen to someone else," he said. Noam Shalit, the soldier's father, has criticized the government for not doing enough to secure his son's release. He has not made public comments since the Gaza war started Dec. 27. Unlike the United States and most European countries, Israel has made no secret of its willingness to negotiate with militants. "We'll do whatever we can … to return abducted soldiers," Leibovich said. Eitan Barak, an international relations professor at Hebrew University, is among those who believe that stance has led it to pay ever-higher ransoms and encouraged more abductions. "It is out of control," Barak said. In July, Israel exchanged one of its most reviled prisoners, Lebanese national Samir Kuntar, for the bodies of two Israeli soldiers captured and killed in 2006. In 1979, Kuntar killed an Israeli policeman, then killed another Israeli man before smashing in the man's 4-year-old daughter's skull with the rifle butt. Yoel Hasson, a member of the Knesset, Israel's parliament, counters that "Israel is in a bad neighborhood" and therefore doesn't have the luxury of refusing to negotiate with militants. Meanwhile, on Monday, Hamas continued using Shalit as a psychological weapon. In a statement on Hamas' Al Aqsa TV, a hooded spokesman for the group's military wing who identified himself as Abu Obeida said: "We tell the Israeli soldiers that Gilad Shalit is missing you and wants someone who can be his companion." "We will make sure that his wish will be fulfilled by bringing him more of his colleagues." Contributing: Daniel Estrin Guidelines: You share in the USA TODAY community, so please keep your comments smart and civil. Don't attack other readers personally, and keep your language decent. Use the "Report Abuse" button to make a difference. You share in the USA TODAY community, so please keep your comments smart and civil. Don't attack other readers personally, and keep your language decent. Use the "Report Abuse" button to make a difference. Read more