Israel - Hamas deal: Gilad Shalit, a particular former hostage case in Israel - video Dailymotion

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00:00 This image of Gilad Shalit as he returned to Israel after five years in captivity has

00:06 become the symbol of Israel's hostage policy.

00:10 Whether civilians or soldiers, hostages must return home no matter the cost.

00:17 Kidnapped in 2006 during a cross-border attack.

00:22 Then-19-year-old French-Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit was imprisoned by Hamas in Gaza for

00:27 five years until his release in October 2011 in exchange for over a thousand Palestinian

00:33 prisoners.

00:36 During those five years, his family and the organisations supporting them kept reminding

00:41 the government of its obligation.

00:43 "The government sent Gilad to fight.

00:49 It must bring him back."

00:52 This type of hostage policy was already applied on two occasions in the mid-eighties.

00:57 In 1983, six Israeli soldiers were exchanged for 4,000 Palestinians.

01:03 And in 1985, three Israelis were freed for over a thousand prisoners.

01:08 But Gilad Shalit's case was groundbreaking.

01:11 Never before in Israel's history had a single soldier been exchanged at such a high price.

01:17 Before his return, 1,027 Palestinian prisoners were liberated.

01:23 The five-year-long negotiations were difficult, beginning in early 2007 through Egyptian and

01:29 German mediation.

01:31 The main stumbling block?

01:32 The selection of the individual prisoners.

01:35 Successive Israeli governments ruled out the release of certain detainees on Hamas' proposed

01:40 list, deemed to have "blood on their hands."

01:44 Notably Marwan Barghouti, former leader of the Fatah party in the West Bank.

01:49 And Ahmed Sadat, Secretary General of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.

01:55 Yahya Sinwar, however, was one of those released.

01:58 Twelve years later, he would become the Hamas leader behind the October 7th attacks.

Israel - Hamas deal: Gilad Shalit, a particular former hostage case in Israel

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