Gilad Shalit Abduction Fast Facts
CNN Editorial Research
Here is a look at the abduction of Gilad Shalit, an Israeli soldier captured and imprisoned by the military wing of Hamas from 2006 to 2011.
Personal
Birth date: August 28, 1986
Birth place: Naharia, Israel
Father: Noam Shalit
Mother: Aviva Shalit
Marriage: Nitzan Shabbat (June 23, 2021-present)
Military service: Israel Defense Forces (IDF), 2005-2012, Sergeant major
Other Facts
Shalit was 19 at the time of his capture.
Dual citizen of France and Israel.
While in captivity, Shalit was promoted three times, from corporal to ultimately sergeant major.
Timeline
July 2005 – Begins his military service with IDF’s tank corps.
June 25, 2006 – Shalit is captured by Palestinian militants. The Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs issues a detailed statement about the abduction.
June 28, 2006 – Israel launches a military incursion into southern Gaza to rescue Shalit.
June 30, 2006 – A doctor tells an Israeli state-run television station that he has seen Shalit and treated him for injuries.
June 2008 – Shalit’s parents receive a letter from their son.
October 2009 – The Israeli government receives a video of Shalit, proving that he’s still alive. In return, the government releases 20 Palestinian female prisoners.
June 2010 – Shalit’s parents lead a 12-day march from their home in northern Israel to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu‘s office in Jerusalem. There, they set up a tent to draw attention to their son’s plight. The tent remains outside the prime minister’s office for more than a year.
October 2011 – Netanyahu announces that a prisoner swap deal has been struck with Hamas. Shalit will be freed in exchange for the release of more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners.
October 18, 2011 – Shalit returns home while 477 Palestinian inmates are freed in phase one of the prisoner swap.
December 18, 2011 – Phase two of the prisoner swap takes place and 550 Palestinian prisoners are released. Israel releases a total of 1,027 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for Shalit.
February 14, 2020 – Shalit and his girlfriend, Nitzan Shabbat, announce their engagement on Instagram.
June 23, 2021 – Shalit marries Shabbat, almost 10 years after Shalit’s release from captivity.
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