"Being a father myself, I wept silently while watching the videotape (of Gilad Shalit)," Shimshon Libman, who heads the organization lobbying for the captive soldier's return, said Friday.
We all feel that our struggle over the course of the past three and a half years has not been in vain," said Libman, who viewed the tape at the Shalit family home in Mitzpe Hila.
"Gilad has become the son of an entire nation, and many activists are looking forward to viewing the tape," said the head of the Free Shalit campaign. "Our message today is clear: We are in the midst of a struggle for the release of a living person who, as of today, appears to be in good health. We are hopeful and will make every effort to bring about his release."
Libman urged the government not to waste any time in sealing a deal with Hamas, which would see the Israeli soldier returned in exchange for the release of hundreds of Palestinian security prisoners.
He also commended the efforts of the negotiation team headed by Hagai Hadas, the official tasked with securing Shalit's release.
Meanwhile, a friend of the Shalit family who watched the videotape of the captive soldier said: "it's the same Gilad we remember."
"He looks thinner, but focused," the friend said. "He speaks in his normal and shy voice."
Another family friend, Eitan, told Ynet that the family watched the tape several times since receiving it.
"I saw it twice myself. As a father I can say the heart aches," he said.
Hamas transferred the video to Israel in exchange for the release of 20 female Palestinian prisoners.
Shalit was kidnapped by Palestinian terrorists during a cross-border raid on an IDF base near Gaza on June 25, 2006.
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