Gilad Shalit is alive and being treated well, in a room approximately 15 meters underground near the border city of Rafiah, according to Hamas sources quoted by Channel 2 TV news.
The report indicated that Shalit is being held in what was described as a two-room hideout at the bottom of a deep shaft lined with explosives, located near the southern Gaza town of Shaboura.
There are reportedly enough supplies in the small space, which is accessible only by ladder, for the jailers to wait out a siege for up to two weeks.
According to the unnamed Hamas source, the two terrorists guarding Shalit receive newspaper articles and supplies every other week.
The first anniversary of the young IDF corporal’s kidnapping passed on Sunday, however, without concrete proof of his whereabouts or condition. In a Jerusalem rally marking the date of his son’s capture, Noam Shalit called on Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to step down if he is unable to free his son.
“If you do not know what to do, give your portfolio to someone who can bring about results immediately,” said the elder Shalit.
National Union Party Knesset Member Rabbi Yitzchak Levy strongly urged the government to tie the release of the captive soldier to any humanitarian aid to be provided to residents of war-torn Gaza.
Hamas terrorists wrested complete control over the region at the end of a long bloody militia war two weeks ago. “I assume the government will reach some kind of decision in the coming days regarding the opening of the crossings…..in order to avoid a humanitarian crisis in Gaza where people die of disease and hunger,” said the MK in an interview with Arutz-7 Sunday morning.
“But we have some humanitarian demands of our own,” added Rabbi Levy. “We must say, ‘If you ignore the humanitarian need of [Shalit’s] family, and all of Israel, and keep him with you, then we too will keep our aid from reaching Gaza.'”
IDF and other officials have declined to comment on the Channel 2 report.
Kidnapped BBC Journalist Seen in Second Video
A new videotape which showed kidnapped British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) journalist Alan Johnston was posted Monday on an internet website, apparently by the Army of Islam terror group that says it’s holding the reporter.
The video shows Johnston telling viewers he is wearing a suicide bomber explosives belt, and warning that his captors will detonate the belt if authorities attempt to free him by force.
This is the second video of the kidnapped journalist released since he was pulled out of his car at gunpoint outside the BBC office in Gaza on March 12.
The previously-unknown Army of Islam is demanding the release of an Islamic cleric, Abu Qatada, suspected of having close ties with the international al-Qaeda terrorist group. Abu Qatada is in British custody and is deemed a threat to the UK’s national security.
Johnston is clearly anxious in the one-minute and 42-second video and points out, “The situation now is very serious……Captors tell me that very promising negotiations were ruined when the Hamas movement and the British government decided to press for a military solution to this kidnapping.”
The tape was posted in the wake of reports that Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was considering a more aggressive attempt to free the Scottish national. “We will not allow the continuation of the abduction of the British journalist,” announced Haniyeh recently.
The British Foreign Office slammed the tape in a statement read by a spokeswoman saying “We condemn the continued release of videos like this which can only add to the distress of Alan Johnston’s family and friends.”
The BBC news network issued a carefully-worded response which appealed to the terrorists to let Johnston go and reiterated that his family is being updated whenever information becomes available.
“It is very distressing for Alan’s family and colleagues to see him being threatened in this way. We ask those holding Alan to avoid him being harmed by releasing him immediately. We are keeping his family fully informed and offering them our continued support.”
In addition to the numerous vigils and demonstrations held in support of the captive reporter, more than 170,000 have signed a petition circulated on the internet demanding his immediate release.
The report indicated that Shalit is being held in what was described as a two-room hideout at the bottom of a deep shaft lined with explosives, located near the southern Gaza town of Shaboura.
There are reportedly enough supplies in the small space, which is accessible only by ladder, for the jailers to wait out a siege for up to two weeks.
According to the unnamed Hamas source, the two terrorists guarding Shalit receive newspaper articles and supplies every other week.
The first anniversary of the young IDF corporal’s kidnapping passed on Sunday, however, without concrete proof of his whereabouts or condition. In a Jerusalem rally marking the date of his son’s capture, Noam Shalit called on Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to step down if he is unable to free his son.
“If you do not know what to do, give your portfolio to someone who can bring about results immediately,” said the elder Shalit.
National Union Party Knesset Member Rabbi Yitzchak Levy strongly urged the government to tie the release of the captive soldier to any humanitarian aid to be provided to residents of war-torn Gaza.
Hamas terrorists wrested complete control over the region at the end of a long bloody militia war two weeks ago. “I assume the government will reach some kind of decision in the coming days regarding the opening of the crossings…..in order to avoid a humanitarian crisis in Gaza where people die of disease and hunger,” said the MK in an interview with Arutz-7 Sunday morning.
“But we have some humanitarian demands of our own,” added Rabbi Levy. “We must say, ‘If you ignore the humanitarian need of [Shalit’s] family, and all of Israel, and keep him with you, then we too will keep our aid from reaching Gaza.'”
IDF and other officials have declined to comment on the Channel 2 report.
Kidnapped BBC Journalist Seen in Second Video
A new videotape which showed kidnapped British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) journalist Alan Johnston was posted Monday on an internet website, apparently by the Army of Islam terror group that says it’s holding the reporter.
The video shows Johnston telling viewers he is wearing a suicide bomber explosives belt, and warning that his captors will detonate the belt if authorities attempt to free him by force.
This is the second video of the kidnapped journalist released since he was pulled out of his car at gunpoint outside the BBC office in Gaza on March 12.
The previously-unknown Army of Islam is demanding the release of an Islamic cleric, Abu Qatada, suspected of having close ties with the international al-Qaeda terrorist group. Abu Qatada is in British custody and is deemed a threat to the UK’s national security.
Johnston is clearly anxious in the one-minute and 42-second video and points out, “The situation now is very serious……Captors tell me that very promising negotiations were ruined when the Hamas movement and the British government decided to press for a military solution to this kidnapping.”
The tape was posted in the wake of reports that Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was considering a more aggressive attempt to free the Scottish national. “We will not allow the continuation of the abduction of the British journalist,” announced Haniyeh recently.
The British Foreign Office slammed the tape in a statement read by a spokeswoman saying “We condemn the continued release of videos like this which can only add to the distress of Alan Johnston’s family and friends.”
The BBC news network issued a carefully-worded response which appealed to the terrorists to let Johnston go and reiterated that his family is being updated whenever information becomes available.
“It is very distressing for Alan’s family and colleagues to see him being threatened in this way. We ask those holding Alan to avoid him being harmed by releasing him immediately. We are keeping his family fully informed and offering them our continued support.”
In addition to the numerous vigils and demonstrations held in support of the captive reporter, more than 170,000 have signed a petition circulated on the internet demanding his immediate release.