Gilad Shalit, from the community of Mitzpe Hila, was born in 1986 and enlisted in the Armored Corps. On June 25, 2006, Shalit was stationed near the Kerem Shalom crossing with his tank when, early in the morning, the Hamas terrorist organization launched an offensive operation against the force in the area, killing two soldiers and capturing Gilad Shalit alive, taking him into the Gaza Strip. The government immediately launched Operation ‘Summer Rains,’ during which around 300 terrorists were killed and 70 were arrested, but Shalit was not found, and the operation was relatively halted with the outbreak of the Second Lebanon War.
A few months later, Hamas had completely taken control of the Gaza Strip, significantly limiting Israel’s ability to act, and the chances of retrieving Shalit were drastically reduced. Hamas now had a strong bargaining chip; in Israel, heated public debates took place regarding the moral imperative to bring Shalit back. Hamas demanded the release of thousands of prisoners, including hundreds serving life sentences and many who declared they had no regrets for their actions and would return to terrorism. Despite this, many in Israel argued that the country had a moral obligation to Shalit at any cost, and a large-scale public campaign began for Gilad’s release, led by his family, numerous celebrities, and business organizations.
Despite initial opposition, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ultimately agreed to a deal with Hamas in October 2011, through which Shalit was released in exchange for 1,027 terrorists. Since then, Shalit has lived as a private citizen, while the deal continues to face criticism in various media outlets, and justifiably so (as some of the released terrorists have already caused dozens of attacks, resulting in Israeli deaths and injuries). Yet, there is some comfort in knowing that Israel will do everything to bring its children home safely.
