The initial phase of the prisoner exchange for the freedom of Gilad Shalit is completed. This interview was broadcast on Egyptian TV, as described in The Jerusalem Post:
Schalit, who seemed shocked and distressed, was asked a number of questions by an Egyptian reporter, including how he was feeling, to which he answered: “I am nervous.”Schalit was asked if he would campaign for the release of the 4,000 Palestinian prisoners that are still held in Israel to which he said that he would be happy if they were released, stressing that he hoped “they would not come back to Israel to fight in wars.”The interviewer also asked him about the Egyptian role in his release to which Schalit replied: “I am grateful for their help.”During the interview, Schalit explained during the interview that he received the news that he would be released a week ago. “I was happy to hear the news but feared that something may go wrong,” Schalit added.When asked what he missed the most, he answered first of all his family and then went on to explain that he missed talking to people and he was looking forward to not sitting in a room alone all day.
Shalit being greeted by Prime Minister Netanyahu (via The Guardian):
Meanwhile, Palestinians vowed more kidnappings:
Abu Attaya, spokesman of the Popular Resistance Committees, whose fighters joined Hamas in the capture of Shalit, said militants would kidnap more Israeli soldiers until all Palestinian prisoners are freed.”The coming weeks and month will witness more responses and more, similar operations. We will continue the same path to kidnap Zionist soldiers in order to clear all prisons,” the masked spokesman said, clutching an AK 47 assault rifle.”Today the resistance talks,” an activist cried over the loudspeaker of one mosque. “Today the enemy submitted to our demands and that was just the start.”
Update: Photo via @IsraeliPM of Shalit with his father, Netanyahu, Ehud Barak:
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