Gilad Shalit Remains Captive 4 Years After His Kidnapping by Hamas--and the World Does Not Care

Kudos to the Republican Jewish Coalition for reminding us of what it aptly called, "A sad and frustrating anniversary." Four years ago, on June 25, 2006, Hamas guerillas tunneled from Gaza into Israel, and launched an ambush attack on an Israeli army post. The attackers killed two Israeli soliders, wounded four others, and took one of the wounded soldiers prisoner. The prisoner, Gilad Shalit, has remained imprisoned in an undisclosed location ever since. He was 20-years old at the time of his capture, 24 now. In flagrant violation of international law and norms, Hamas has continuously refused to allow the International Red Cross to visit Shalit. The world has not lifted a finger to secure his release.

Keep in mind that at the time of the attack, Israel did not occupy a single foot of Gaza, having removed all Israeli towns, farms and soldiers in September 2005. The attack was launched on a Israeli army post within the June 1967 ceasefire lines. It followed hundreds of rocket and artillery attacks by Gaza terrorists against Israeli civilian towns.

As Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak told Secretary of Defense, Robert Gates this week: "A million and a half people are living in Gaza, but only one of them is really in need of humanitarian aid." That person is Gilad Shalit. May God grant him freedom quickly.