Gaza – Hamas marked the 12th anniversary of the capture of Israeli soldier Gilad Schalit on Monday by posting never before seen photos and videos of the armored corps soldier while in captivity.
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Schalit was kidnapped by Hamas on June 25th 2006 and was held captive for more than five years. He was released and returned to Israel on October 18th, 2011 as part of a deal with the terror group, in exchange for the release of 1,027 prisoners belonging to Hamas and other Palestinian terror organizations.
The video shows him during his daily routine, in some scenes even smiling and conversing with his captors.
The article in which the photos appear on the Hamas website says Schalit’s kidnapping “shattered the illusion” of Israel’s supremacy. The article notes that Hamas is still in custody of Israeli soldiers, a reference to the bodies of Hadar Goldin and Oron Shaul, who were killed in Operation Protective Edge, in 2014. It says that Israeli leaders, “continue to delude the public and the families of the soldiers held in Gaza.
Schalit’s capture and captivity, as well as the deal that saw him released, created widespread controversy in Israel during the years of his imprisonment, raising the question of whether to negotiate with terrorists and what was an acceptable price to return an Israeli soldier to his home and family.