Israelis Turn Out for Shalit; Hamas Says Continued Captivity Israel’s Fault

Thousands of Israelis joined the family of captured soldier Gilad Shalit as they began a 12-day march to the Israeli capital to urge the government to conclude a prisoner-swap deal with Hamas that would include Shalit’s repatriation after four years in captivity. Noam Shalit, Gilad’s father, expressed his appreciation for the unexpectedly large show of support. As Israelis urged their government to do more to facilitate Shalit’s release, his Hamas captors sounded a similar note. Spokesman Mahmoud A-Zahar said on Sunday that the Israelis had reneged on tentative agreements that would have included Shalit’s release, albeit at a price apparently higher than the government is willing to pay. While lopsided releases for Israeli soldiers are legend, Hamas is determined to use Shalit to buy the release of 1,000 or more prisoners held by Israel, including more than 400 serving life sentences. The sticking point seems to be exactly which Palestinians will be released and whether some of the most notorious terrorists on the list will be expelled from Gaza and the West Bank.