IN PICTURES / Israel trades prisoners for Gilad Shalit video
Photos from Israel, Ramallah as well as the Gaza border are seen as exchange deal is carried out.
By Haaretz Service Tags: Gilad Shalit Israel newsIsrael released 20 female Palestinian prisoners from its prisons on Friday in exchange for a video showing captive Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit alive and reportedly healthy.
Shalit was kidnapped by Gaza militants in a cross border raid in 2006. Hamas, the rulers of Gaza, have demanded that Israel free hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for his release.
Protesters demonstrating for the release of Gilad Shalit, an IDF soldier kidnapped by Hamas in 2006, at the Erez border crossing between Israel and Gaza (Image: Eliyahu Ben-Yigal / Jini)
Demonstrators at the Gaza border holding signs reading 'Bibi - you've taken the first step, now take the last' (Image: Eliyahu Ben-Yigal / Jini)
Noam Shalit, Gilad's father, speaking to the media outside his home in northern Israel (Image: Reuters)
Freed Palestinian prisoners greeting celebrating relatives from inside a Red Cross bus that brought them to Ramnallah from an Israeli prison (Image: Getty Images)
Freed Palestinian prisoner Ayat Kisi wiping away her tears as she is welcomed by relatives following her release from Israeli prison (Image: Getty Images)
A freed Palestinian prisoner greeting an elderly relative from inside a Red Cross bus that brought her to Ramallah from an Israeli prison (Image: Getty Images)
Freed Palestinian prisoner Zahoor Abed Hadman, 45, sitting in a bus with two of her nine children following her release from an Israeli prison (Image: Getty Images)
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As an ex Sgt in the Israeli Air Force 1948 ( Machal) I hope that Gilad will soon be home safe and well with his family. I hope and pray that Israel will remain strong and will not allow perfidious Arabs and their supporters including Israels " Friends" to downgrade Israel in any way/ There is only strength through strength. there is none in weakness Shalom.
Thank you for coverage of this and many other relevant issues surrounding this particularly sensitive subject. As we (the global jewish family) moves forward towards a final settlement on the return of Gilad Shalit, Please be a leader in your THOROUGH reporting on this matter. It is crucial that as much as possible we expose this exchange in its' totality. Pictures of unknown families embracing eachother lacks depth that true reporting is meant to provide. What are the names of the prisoners we will eventually see once again crossing back into occupied territories? What are their crimes? I think it's important to have as much of the intracacies of this exposed.
I agree with Morag. where are the Red Cross most of the time?? but they are happy to act as a taxi service to bring the prisoners back home. one wonders what they did to be in there in the first place... this whole article stinks. and there is going to be more of it when Gilad is finally released and the criminals are released back into their people, only to begin again. i guess the Red Cross with be there a luxury coach then...
Yesterday was an important day. All over Israel could see the images of young people, Gilat Shalit and free palestinian women victim of the war. Gilat Shalit with his humble and weak aspects suffering the captivity and the isoletion during years. Female palestinians loosing their best years in prisons. Is this what we want for ever?
to these brave young women finally released from jail and back into the illegal occupation....
insted of cry complain k'vetch, murder and threats.....see it works
If they would care about the kidnapped palestinians as well...
There is no end of your hubris, is there? These are humans who resisted the occupation; the IDF soldier was part of the occupying force. You probably also refer to Palestinians as rats and vermin.
What a bunch of negotiators! Everyone knows that a single video tape has to be worth at least 1,000 Palestinians. Way to go Hamas!
"Photos from Israel, Ramallah as well as the Gaza border are seen as exchange deal is carried out" Ramallah and Gaza are IN ISRAEL!!!! (or at least on disputed territories in the Land of Israel) Unless you think as a defeatist appeaser Jew. If Israeli media writes like this, assuming the final results of the negotiations, what do we expect from the UN, from Barak Obama, let alone from the PLO or Hamas?
The Red Cross Bus can be found to transport female Gaza thugs from their prison in Israel, home to Gaza. But they are not to be found otherwise. Hmmmmm!