August 28: One for 1,027

Gilad Shalit, the Israeli soldier who was kidnapped in Israeli territory by Hamas in 2006 and held for five years until he was exchanged for 1,027 Palestinians held by Israel, was born on this date in 1986. During his captivity, Shalit was not allowed visits from the Red Cross or any other humanitarian group; the only contact he had with the world beyond Hamas were three letters, an audiotape, and a video that Israel received in return for releasing twenty female Palestinian prisoners. Also during his captivity, Israel undertook Operation Cast Lead, the invasion of Gaza in the winter of 2008-09, which took the lives of up to 1,400 Palestinians. On October 18, 2011, Shalit was released in a prisoner exchange that freed Palestinians who, according to the Israeli government, were collectively responsible for 569 Israeli deaths. Nevertheless, the exchange was supported by 79 percent of Israelis, according to public opinion polls. Following his release, Shalit was operated upon to remove shrapnel from his arm, where he had been wounded during the kidnapping. He is now a sportswriter for Yedioth Ahronoth, and has been made an honorary citizen of Paris, Rome, and several American cities.
“I hope this deal furthers peace between Israel and Palestinians and that there will be no more wars between them.” —Gilad Shalit
Watch a video released of Shalit during his captivity (with English subtitles):