caption module birth_place citizenship awards image_size birth_date known_for image article_title education name occupation
gilad after arriving in israel on 18 october 2011 shalit on the phone with his parents , yes = 20px sergeant first class commands = branch = 20px allegiance israeli army unit = armor corps battles = website = = footnotes = box_width = nationality = israeli and french rank nahariya , israel dual israeli-french honorary new orleans , baltimore , and pittsburgh citizen of paris , rome , miami , 250px 28 august 1986 captured hostage for five years until released in exchange for 1,027 in palestinian prisoners . israel by hamas militants , and held flickr of captivity.jpg - israel defense forces - after 5 years gilad shalit
 manor kabri high school gilad shalit גלעד שליט sports columnist
gilad shalit

gilad shalit -lrb- , `` gilˁad Šaliṭ '' born 28 august 1986 -rrb- is an israeli sports columnist and a former mia soldier of the israel defense forces -lrb- idf -rrb- .
on 25 june 2006 , shalit was captured by hamas militants in a cross-border raid via underground tunnels near the israeli border .
hamas held him captive for over five years , until his release on 18 october 2011 as part of a prisoner exchange deal .
during his captivity , hamas turned down requests from the international committee of the red cross -lrb- icrc -rrb- to be allowed to visit shalit , claiming that any such visit could betray his location .
multiple human rights organizations criticized this stance , claiming that the conditions of shalit 's confinement were contrary to international humanitarian law .
the red cross insisted , `` the shalit family have the right under international humanitarian law to be in contact with their son '' .
the only communication in the early months came through an intermediary , who claimed that a low-ranking hamas official , ghazi hamad , asked him to convey to shalit 's parents assurance that shalit was `` alive and was treated according to islam 's laws regarding prisoners of war , in other words , he had been given shelter , food and medical care . ''
the united nations fact finding mission on the gaza conflict called for shalit 's release in its september 2009 report .
in its 27 may 2011 deauville declaration , the g8 demanded shalit 's release .
shalit 's capture has been deemed a kidnapping and abduction by many sources .
he was not granted any visits from the red cross and was not allowed to communicate with family members -lrb- to which he is entitled as a captured soldier under the geneva conventions -rrb- , and a ransom , even if not of a monetary nature , was demanded for his return .
the only contact between shalit and the outside world after his capture and before his release were three letters , an audio tape , and a dvd that israel received in return for releasing 20 female palestinian prisoners .
shalit was captured near the kerem shalom crossing in israel , and held by hamas as a hostage at an unknown location in the gaza strip .
hamas ' initial demands of releasing of all female and underage palestinians as well as marwan barghouti were not met .
on 18 october 2011 , he was released in a deal that secured his freedom after more than five years in isolation and captivity , in exchange for 1,027 palestinian prisoners , including some convicted of multiple murders and carrying out attacks against israeli civilians -lrb- according to israeli government sources , the prisoners released were collectively responsible for 569 israeli deaths -rrb- .
shalit was the first israeli soldier captured by palestinian militants since nachshon wachsman in 1994 .
shalit , having a rank of corporal in the idf 's armor corps at the time of his capture , was promoted to staff sergeant , sergeant first class , and then sergeant major on the eve of his release .
