Gilad Shalit Abduction Fast Facts
CNN Editorial Research
(CNN) — 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.
Timeline
July 2005 - Begins his military service with IDF’s tank corps.
June 25, 2006 - Shalit is captured by Palestinian militants.
June 2007 - An audiotape is released, in which Shalit says his health is deteriorating and he’s in need of long-term hospitalization.
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.
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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