Free Gilad Shalit !

Gilad Shalit born 28 August 1986) is an Israeli soldier who was captured on 25 June 2006 by Palestinian militants in a cross border raid. He was abducted through the Kerem Shalom crossing (in Israel) and has been held as a prisoner in the Gaza Strip by Hamas since. Shalit, a soldier of the IDF's Armor Corps, held the rank of corporal at the time of the incident but has since been promoted to staff sergeant.Shalit became the first Israeli soldier captured by Palestinian militants since Nachshon Wachsman in 1994.Shalit holds French citizenship, a fact that encouraged France and the European Union to be involved to some extent in the efforts to release him.Recently, he also received Italian citizenship.Hamas has refused requests from the International Committee of the Red Cross to allow visits by the ICRC. Several human rights organizations have stated that the terms and conditions of Shalit's detention are contrary to international humanitarian law. In exchange for his release, Hamas is demanding the release of 1,000 Palestinian prisoners held in Israel, including many convicted of deadly terrorist attacks against Israelis. The United Nations Fact Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict, which released its report on September 2009, called for Shalit to be released.Photos by Rafael Ben-Ari/Chamelwons Eye