Shalit At Home

[Rome101]

Latest update:
Shalit is back at home. Both sides are ecstatic. He is slightly injured but overall well. Palestinians demand "new Shalit", Hamas vows to satisfy. Israel threatens it will kill those who try to harm its civilians. Overall, just a nother day at the office in the deepest realms of hell on earth.

UPDATE:
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showt...8#post10464508


http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7...134235,00.html

Cabinet holds urgent session to discuss deal meant to secure release of Hamas-held IDF soldier. Saudi-owned Al Arabiya TV says Hamas agreed to deal; notes prisoner exchange may take place as early as November

Israel discusses Shalit release (BBC link)

There are about 50 thousands conflicting sources, all claiming different details and none has enough viable sources to back it up properly. The only thing we do know is that there's an immediate progression, and unfortunately no one else knows for sure what's true and what's only a rumor.
The BBC article is made out of rumors in its near entirety and sounds less reliable than anything else, but it's here for reference. Meanwhile we're not even sure who helped broker the deal, but it seems like Egypt was involved.

The mood in Israel is very very tense, and everybody is watching closely, every single radio and TV are turned on in one of three major news channels. Facebook is about to explode with status updates regarding this subject.
We are all very cautious about it. We don't want to expect a miracle and end up crying in a corner because the deal broke down over 1 prisoner. There are also raising security concerns, because many mass-murderers and terror specialists are told to be released. Everybody remembers the Bus 37 bombing that was committed by a released prisoner.

The mood in Gaza, however, is festive. Thousands are rocking the streets in celebrations, and the traditional rocket was also launched. It hit within the borders of Ashkelon (one of the largest cities in southern Israel), causing severe damage to several greenhouses.
The Jewish holiday of Succot is coming up in 2 days, and Gazan militants seem to be giving out gifts early. They must be proud of themselves.

[John ''True Grit'' Wayne]

I hope he is released.Its a horrible thing to be held captive never mind being held by a group like Hamas.5yrs is a long time to be a prisoner.And we know he wont be treated very well.

[Elemental]

I hope he is released.Its a horrible thing to be held captive never mind being held by a group like Hamas.5yrs is a long time to be a prisoner.And we know he wont be treated very well.

Some german soldiers was held captive until 1955.They did not get much sympathy and why the whole world should feel any sympathy with this one is beyond me.

[Surgeon]

Is he still alive or do they intend to return only his dead body like last time?

[Rome101]

Nobody knows. All we know is that Israel agreed to the deal, and is about to sign. To what deal, we don't know yet.

[John ''True Grit'' Wayne]

It looks like he will be free.His head will be all over the place and he will have a hard time adjusting back to normal life again.Hope the government pays him money for the rest of his life as he is a hero being held that long with the threat of death always there.I also give sympathy to the Arabs in jail who will be released except the evil ones who are extremist.I hope they choose the path of peace when they are released to there loved ones.At least Hamas and Bibi are talking.

[Elemental]

It looks like he will be free.His head will be all over the place and he will have a hard time adjusting back to normal life again.Hope the government pays him money for the rest of his life as he is a hero being held that long with the threat of death always there.

He is a hero for being a captive? Lol

[John ''True Grit'' Wayne]

He is a hero for being in a dark room eating crap food and probably getting beat up by extremists.With the fear of death always in his head and missing his family.I dont agree with the occupation or that he was there in the 1st place but he was just a kid when he was captured and he was conscripted.He is a prisoner of war.And is not being given his geneva convention human rights.Neither are some of the PAL prisoners who are being kept without charge.Wasent Terry Waite a hero?Terry Waite was taken hostage in Lebanon by Islamic Jihad in January 1987 and held captive for nearly five years, four of these in total were in solitary confinement.

[Elemental]

He is a hero for being in a dark room eating crap food and probably getting beat up by extremists.With the fear of death always in his head and missing his family.I dont agree with the occupation or that he was there in the 1st place but he was just a kid when he was captured and he was conscripted.He is a prisoner of war.And is not being given his geneva convention human rights.Neither are some of the PAL prisoners who are being kept without charge.Wasent Terry Waite a hero?Terry Waite was taken hostage in Lebanon by Islamic Jihad in January 1987 and held captive for nearly five years, four of these in total were in solitary confinement.

How can being a captive alone qualify as being a hero. Being a hero is about choice, being a captive is not.

[Armenum]

Is this the soldiers that Netanyahu keeps talking about (for example in his UN speech)?

[.L.]

They should let him go, regardless of how it goes, Israel won't care about one life, they'll milk it for what its got and use it as an excuse to do whatever they want just like in Lebanon.

[Rome101]

They should let him go, regardless of how it goes, Israel won't care about one life, they'll milk it for what its got and use it as an excuse to do whatever they want just like in Lebanon.

Can you elaborate on how exactly you got "Israel won't care about one life" from an act of basically risking dozens of thousands of people for one said life?
I don't know what you tried to say here, but it seemed to go awry.

I personally oppose the prisoner swap. I am not willing to risk so many lives for 1 guy, even if he was the pope.

[.L.]

Can you elaborate on how exactly you got "Israel won't care about one life" from an act of basically risking dozens of thousands of people for one said life?
I don't know what you tried to say here, but it seemed to go awry.

I personally oppose the prisoner swap. I am not willing to risk so many lives for 1 guy, even if he was the pope.

They knew that the soldiers in Lebanon were dead, they just didn't care.



Also, what if was..............................Your mother!

[.L.]

They knew that the soldiers in Lebanon were dead, they just didn't care.



Also, what if was..............................Your mother!

They're also using him to delay negotiations.

[Rome101]

@Mov: Yes he is.

Turns out he will come back home, safe and sound (at least, as safe and sound as 5 years in serious malnutrition and the psychological effects of being kept in a basement without any rights and no medical care, after being severely injured from the attack in which he was kidnapped, gets you).
For that Israel agreed to release over a thousands terrorists, extremists and militant activists, many of whom are directly responsible for the death of hundreds of Israeli civilians. An example would be guerrilla-mastermind Marwan Baragutti, who planned numerous terror attacks which killed dozens and injured hundreds; another is Ahmad Saddat, the ex-leader of PLO, who was responsible for the assassination of Israeli MP Ze'evi in 2001.
All female Palestinian and Israeli-Arab prisoners will also be released, including one Amna Muna, who seduced and murdered an Israeli teenager a few years ago. This, from the BBC report which was recently updated. (link in OP)


Meanwhile in Gaza, Haled Mish'al, the head of Hamas's parliamentary wing, has announced that "Those who will be free will continue the struggle", and concerned voices already rise in Israel as to when - not if - the next terror attack will arrive, and how many lives will it take.
In response, head of SBK (better known as Shin-Bet to you guys) expressed that Israel preserves itself the right to kill those who plan terror attacks against Israel, if they will choose to do so. Fair trade in my opinion.
(from Gaza, tonight, Hamas celebrates on the streets)


Read more from an ever-updating page:
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7...134235,00.html

[Blaze86420]

Ahmad Saddat, the ex-leader of PLO, who was responsible for the assassination of Israeli MP Ze'evi in 2001.

He was the leader of the PFLP, not the PLO. Big difference. And he was accused of being responsible for the assassination.


I am surprised over how much of an unfavorable this is to the Israelis, now if only they are this lenient with the actual peace negotiations.

EDIT: And its Ahmad Saadat, not Saddat, and I thought Ze'evi was the Minister of Tourism not an MP?

[Rock Guardian]

Lieberman must be throwing a fit... sorry, just had to say that

Apparently the exact number is 1027 prisioners to be released, some to Gaza, some to the West Bank, some to Israel, some to be deported.

I'm carefully optimistic about this (of course I understand how easy it is to be optimistic when you're not living on the scene, but I do have family in Israel), specially since apparently most of the Hamas bigshots are not included in the deal and even then the most dangerous individuals who were arrested in the West Bank and Israel will be expelled to Gaza. Either way, the days ahead will be tense, but at the very least I'm glad to see Bibi has some balls and is ready to wager political creed on this, you gotta realise that one terror attack in the coming months or, knock on wood, another kidnap, and all this will backfire on him big time.

On another subject, even after his captivity is over, I cant help but feel sorry for the guy, he's gonna be a media magnet wether he likes it or not.

[Armenum]

Wow, a thousand Palestinian prisoners for this one soldier? How and why did Israel agree to such term??

[Rome101]

Forget about the media, I don't think he'll ever be able to recover from the trauma. Expert analysts who watched the tape Hamas released a few years back all agree that he is in a very, very bad shape, suffering from cripple and injuries, malnutrition and lack of daylight (which gives vitamin D).
The mentality of living in captive with these terms, especially since Hamas never allowed any medical supply to be transferred to Gilad and banned him his international right for a Red Cross treatment, is something you might never recover from. He's not our first returned captive, and sadly he might not be the last either, and stuff like that get you scarred for life.

[Rock Guardian]

Forget about the media, I don't think he'll ever be able to recover from the trauma. Expert analysts who watched the tape Hamas released a few years back all agree that he is in a very, very bad shape, suffering from cripple and injuries, malnutrition and lack of daylight (which gives vitamin D).
The mentality of living in captive with these terms, especially since Hamas never allowed any medical supply to be transferred to Gilad and banned him his international right for a Red Cross treatment, is something you might never recover from. He's not our first returned captive, and sadly he might not be the last either, and stuff like that get you scarred for life.

Of course, I was going besides the obvious. The thing is, many people who go through captivity and are later rescued are afterwards allowed to slide into anonimity, confront the inner and outer traumas in the confort of their families, and at some point they can go outside and buy groceries without someone recognising them and start asking questions about their captivity. I'm thinking about those 2 women Bill Clinton rescued from North Korea some years ago, who heard about them ever since? But Shalit's case, persona and image has been so publiced over the years, its not going to be easy for the people to just forget about him and forget his name, specially in Israel. The media will probably chase him while public interest is peak (and we both know how rabid and ferocious israeli media is ) but even after that, wherever he goes he'll be the guy who was kidnapped by Hamas, and everyone will have a question for him, where was he staying after all? What did they feed him? Etc, etc. They just wont let it die.

Has Hamas shown any signs that Shalit is still even alive?

The last proof of life was given at 2009 and was deemed truthful. Afterwards who knows.