Israel: Mixed feelings greet Gilad Shalit's release-Israeli envoy

Israel: Mixed feelings greet Gilad Shalit's release-Israeli envoy

The Israeli Embassy in Nigeria says it received the release of the Israeli soldier, Gilad Shalit on Tuesday with mixed feelings.

In a press statement made available to Voice of Nigeria in Abuja, Ambassador Mosha Ram, said the happiness expressed by the Israeli people was laced with sorrow, considering his over five years of incarceration and the price paid for his freedom.

Mr. Ram said Gilad was held in total isolation by the Hamas “terrorist” organisation, without basic humanitarian conditions, denied visits by family and the International Red Cross, in consonance with international law.

Abducted in 2006

The envoy noted that the more than one thousand Palestinian prisoners, for which he was being exchanged, received all possible privileges, including legal representation, family contact and even high educational opportunities.

However, Mr. Ram said none of the leaders of Hamas, Fatah or the PFLP would be included in the arrangement for the release of the over thousand Palestinian Prisoners.

Gilad Shalit was abducted in Gaza by Hamas in 2006 and released on Tuesday, under the terms of a deal reached following an Egyptian government-led negotiation.

Security limitations

The arrangement balances between the desire to bring home the soldier and a need to maintain the security of the citizens.

More than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners convicted in a court of law for bombings and attacks, were to be released in exchange.

The deal also reduces the number of prisoners released to the West Bank, while hundreds of prisoners will be sent instead to Gaza or abroad.

According to the statement, others will be subjected to security limitations, forbidding their entry into foreign countries or Israel.

Israeli commitment

All the released prisoners will have to sign a commitment to refrain from engaging in activities against the State of Israel.

The statement further stressed that all the conditions were agreed to by both sides and were the product of a complex and difficult security situation.

“The deal was the result of a difficult, yet courageous decision by the government of Israel".
“However, the release of Gilad Shalit will not change Israel's policy towards the Hamas-ruled Gaza,” Mr. Ram declared in the statement.

The Ambassador added that Israel will continue to do everything possible to locate its other missing and caputured soldiers: Zecharya Baumel, Zvi Feldman, Yuguda Katz, Ron Arad, Guy Hever and Majdy Halabi.

Iranian-backed Hamas

The statement reiterrared that all goods freely enter the Strip except those that can be used for terrorism or to build up terrorist infrastructure. The security limitations on Gaza are designed solely to prevent the smuggling of weapons to Gaza.

Israel says it wants to prevent the Iranian-backed Hamas from being strengthened by these weapons, which are used in terrorist and rocket attacks against civilians in southern Israel.

PR/Ngozi John-Anigbuogu/Uche Iheanacho/Hajia Sani