After five years of captivity by Hamas in Gaza, Israel Defense Forces soldier Gilad Shalit was returned to Israel on the morning of Oct. 18, 2011. His release was the result of a prisoner exchange between Israel and Hamas in which 1,027 Palestinians detained by Israel have been and will be released. The news sparked joy, surprise, anger and anxiety amongst Israelis and Palestinians alike, with some hoping that Shalit’s freeing could be another step toward peace between the two peoples, and others recoiling at the cost Israel paid for its citizen-soldier. For the most part, however, both sides rejoiced at seeing their respective prisoners come home.
On Twitter, people cheered Shalit’s release.
The Israel Defense Forces’ Twitter account had live coverage of Shalit’s return to the country, including photos:
Other reporters on Twitter and elsewhere online focused on the scene in Gaza, where Palestinians gathered to cheer the return of their friends and family.
While elated that Shalit has been returned home, Israelis also wondered whether the price the government paid—releasing over a thousand prisoners, most of whom were arrested for terrorism-related crimes—was acceptable. Prime Minister Benjamin Netayanhu addressed this in his remarks to the Israeli people, which were posted to the Facebook page of the Israeli Prime Minister:
Supporters of Shalit being freed took to the internet to voice their happiness and concern. Hundreds of people visited the Israeli Prime Minister Facebook page to leave messages of support and praise.
The BBC’s live online coverage of the prisoner transfer was another popular place for people to share their thoughts. Laura Farhi of Tel Aviv emailed them with this comment:
Ori Pomson of Jerusalem had this to add:
Along with Israeli citizens, Jews across the world celebrated Shalit’s release. Haaretz gathered reactions from Jewish interest groups, including the World Jewish Congress:
Israelis weren’t the only ones celebrating the return of a freed prisoner. Palestinians in Gaza gathered at checkpoints along the border with Israel to greet the men and women who had been released from Israeli prisons. From CNN:
Nabeel in Gaza emailed the BBC with a take on the prisoner exchange that mirrored some of the Israeli unease:
With the deal struck, talk turned to what to make of the exchange itself. Paul Danahar, the BBC’s Middle East Bureau Chief, had this to say in the BBC’s online coverage:
On Israel’s side, many questioned why the country would give up so many prisoners for one man. The BBC examined the swap and had this to say:
Alon Pinkas, a blogger for CNN, panned the deal for Israel, noting:
For Palestinians, most media organizations focused on the deal as a new wrinkle in the rivalry between Hamas and Fatah, the two main political organizations in Gaza. A CNN analysis stated that gaining so much in return for Shalit had given Hamas the upper hand over Fatah for the time being:
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