Noam Shalit prepares holiday parcel for son
Kidnapped soldier's father speaks in front of hundreds of protestors on Gaza border, calling for pressure to be exerted on his son's captors. 'We hope this modest package, which includes an apple in honey, a Bible, a Book of Psalms and a few sweets, will reach its destination,' he says. Palestinian prisoners' families hold rally on other side of border
During the rally, which was held near Kibbutz Nahal Oz on the Gaza Strip border, the captive's father called for pressure to be exerted on his son's abductors.
"Gilad is so close, but so far away. He is 1,200 days and nights away from his family, friends and the State of Israel," Noam Shalit told the protestors. According to him, the State "has failed, deep into the fourth year, to bring Gilad back home."
Shalit also addressed the upcoming holiday season, saying, "We are standing here, on the eve of Rosh Hashana, which Gilad will be 'celebrating' in a Hamas cellar in Gaza.
"We also saw the families of the Palestinians waiting for their sons to return, and hope they will also manage to pressure their leaders to end this miserable affair, their nightmare, which has been going on for more than three years."
Nahal Oz rally (Photo: Herzel Yosef)
The Shalit family plans to try and deliver a parcel to Gilad on Thursday, with the help of the Kibbutz Movement.
"We hope this modest package, which includes an apple in honey, a Bible, a Book of Psalms and a few sweets, will reach its destination so that Gilad can get something from home," said the captive's father.
"Based on this mutuality, some of the Hamas prisoners will also be able to receive greetings from their families in parcels we will deliver to them through the Israel Prison Service."
'Gilad's captivity violates Koran'
According to the Shalit family's plan, an Israeli representative will arrive Thursday with the parcel for Gilad at one of the crossings, while the organizers from the Palestinian side will arrive with packages for the Palestinian prisoners. The parcels will be examined and passed from side to side. The Palestinian prisoners' packages will be handed over to the State by the Israeli representatives.
Protestor carrying flag with Gilad's picture (Photo: Herzel Yosef)
The kidnapped soldier's father demanded that the United Nations report into Operation Cast Lead be implemented, and that Hamas let his son contact his family and let the Red Cross visit him and examine his condition without any delay.
"Holding him in captivity this way violates not only the Geneva Convention, but also the virtues of Prophet Muhammad and the Koran," he said.
The rally was also attended by Ora Mitz, the mother of Staff Sergeant Raz Mintz, an IDF fighter and commander who was killed in 2001 in an operational activity near Ramallah.
"Today I stand upright, proud, and call on you, Israel's defense minister, to release Gilad Shalit," the bereaved mother said. "I was in the court when the terrorist who killed my son was sentenced. I looked straight into his eyes, and out of strength and pride and without any pangs of conscience, I am telling you: Release the terrorists in order to return Gilad home."
Gilad Shalit was kidnapped into the Gaza Strip 1,179 days ago.
