An Israeli soldier who has spent more than three years in captivity at the hands of Palestinian militants said in a video released Friday that he's being treated "excellently" by his captors but urged Israeli officials to bring him home.
The video footage of Sgt. Gilad Schalit was given to Israel's lead negotiator after the Jewish state freed 19 female Palestinian prisoners Friday morning as part of a deal with Hamas.
The militant group agreed to provide proof of Schalit's well-being if Israel agreed to release the prisoners. Israeli officials agreed, saying the women no longer posed a security risk.
The two-minute video provided Schalit's family and friends with the first images of the man since he was taken prisoner in 2006. The 23-year-old man looked thin but healthy and wore olive-coloured military garb in the video. He was clean-shaven and his hair was closely cropped but he did not wear glasses the way he did before he was taken into captivity.
In the video, Schalit is seen sitting on a chair in front of a bare wall, holding an Arabic-language newspaper dated Sept. 14.
At one point, Schalit stood and walked towards the camera and back in an effort to show that he could stand on his own. He also smiled several times during the taping.
Schalit read a prepared statement in Hebrew, sending his love to his family and recalling in detail the time his family visited his military base in 2005.
He had a special message for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, asking him "not to squander this opportunity" to bring him home.
"I read the paper to find material and hope to find any material about my release and my imminent return home," he said.
Important step
The deal is seen as an important step towards securing the 23-year-old soldier's release. Hamas militants have been asking that hundreds of Palestinians be freed from Israeli jails in exchange.
A deal could also mean that Israel would end its blockade of Gaza. Israeli authorities imposed the blockade when the territory was seized two years ago by Hamas, a violent group that has the backing of Iran and Syria.
The blockade has made it difficult for the territory to rebuild itself after a winter war with Israel but Israeli officials say they won't ease the embargo unless Schalit is released.
Eighteen of the 19 freed female prisoners were greeted by about 200 people carrying Palestinian flags as they were driven into the West Bank. The women, donning religious headscarves, blew kisses to the crowd from the van's open window.
The 19th prisoner returned to her family home in Gaza. Israeli authorities said a 20th female prisoner -- also a Gaza resident -- would be released on Sunday.
The women were close to being released at the time the deal was brokered.
Bothaina Duqmaq, a prisoners' rights activist in West Bank, said only a few of the prisoners were members of militant groups. Most had supporting roles, such as helping bombers reach their target.
Israel had agreed to release the women if the video met three conditions:
- It had to be proven as recent footage
- Schalit had to be talking clearly into the camera
- The footage had to be at least a minute long
Schalit
Schalit was dragged bleeding into Palestinian territory in June 2006, by Hamas-linked militants who tunneled their way past the Gaza border into Israel. Militants killed two soldiers that day and took Schalit into captivity.
Up until now, Israeli authorities had received several letters and an audio recording supposedly proving Schalit was still alive. The Red Cross has not been permitted by Hamas to visit the soldier.
It was just last month that officials released only one of those letters though it was written just three months after his capture.
Though German and Egyptian mediators predicted the deal was a "confidence-building measure," Israeli officials said they believe the negotiations for Schalit's release would continue to be long and difficult.
Both Hamas and Israel seem eager to reach a deal. Talks have stalled over which Palestinian prisoners would be freed. Hamas says it wants 1,000 prisoners in exchange for Schalit, including those convicted of carrying out deadly attacks on Israelis.
Schalit's captivity has captured the hearts of Israelis as many have held rallies and protests urging his release, decorating their cars with bumper stickers bearing his name. However, there are critics who say that Israel would have to risk too much to secure the prisoner's release.
A large-scale release of Palestinian prisoners would be seen as a coup for Hamas as it battles Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas moderate government in the West Bank for power over the people.
