About 200 Israelis demonstrated in Tel Aviv on Thursday evening to mark Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit's third birthday since he was abducted by Hamas in a cross-border raid in June 2006.
Demonstrators gathered in Rabin Square in downtown Tel Aviv, holding candles and shouting slogans. They called on the government to exert more efforts on securing Shalit's release.
Meanwhile, in Mitzpe Hila, northern Israel, Shalit's friends and families gathered at his home to celebrate his 22nd birthday without him.
Speaking to Israeli news website Ynet earlier in the day, Noam Shalit, Gilad's father said that Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert had promised him that "it will end well," but "right now noone is doing anything to bring Gilad home."
He hoped the echoes of Thursday's rally could reach Gilad, saying "Maybe he (Shalit) will finally get to see a little something from the home he hasn't seen in 26 months."
The Palestinian Hamas movement captured Shalit in 2006 and demanded, through Egyptian mediators, to free 1,000 prisoners in addition to all jailed women, children and the old in exchange forthe Corporal.
Since Hamas took over the Gaza Strip by force last year, no progress has been made on talks to achieve a prisoner swap between Israel and the Islamic group.
Source:Xinhua
|
Comment
Tell A Friend
Print Format
Save Article