Noam Shalit: Feelings of grief, relief mixed

Father of kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit says his family 'supports, loves and strengthens Regev and Goldwasser families on this hard day'
Ahiya Raved

For two whole years they stood side by side – the families of the Israel Defense Forces troops kidnapped into Lebanon and the family of soldier Gilad Shalit, who is being held in the Gaza Strip.

On Wednesday morning, Gilad's father Noam expressed his support for the Regev and Goldwasser families and shared their grief.

Tragedy

Captives' families devastated at footage of coffins / Hagai Einav

Regev, Goldwasser family members break down after seeing images of loved ones' coffins turned over to Israel; said to identify remains later Wednesday, hold ceremony at northern IDF Shraga's Base

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The bereaved families and the entire country watched live TV images of the coffins containing the bodies of Eldad Regev and Ehud Goldwasser being taken off a Hizbullah truck on their way to Israel. Two years of tension and hope turned at once into grief.

"I am certain that the captives' families in Nahariya and Kiryat Motzkin are experiencing feelings of grief mixed with feelings of relief over the fact that this affair is over," Shalit told Ynet.

"We support the families, love them and strengthen them," the father added. "I assume they want to be left alone at this time and I respect that."

Shalit hopes that now that the Israel-Hizbullah deal has been completed, the government will approve another exchange deal which will bring his son back home.