Two days after the completion of the Shalit deal’s first phase, new information regarding the time Gilad Shalit spent in captivity has emerged, including description of the first hours following his kidnapping.
The Popular Resistance Committees’ Secretary-General Zuheir Queisi told London-based Al-Hayat newspaper that the IDF soldier was not tortured and did received proper medical care. The PRC took part in Shalit’s kidnapping.
He added that the injuries Shalit suffered from due to the kidnapping incident were light wounds and that he received treatment for them.
"The confinement of Shalit needed clear and complex protocols, as well as patience and commitment to security regulations, so as to prevent Israel, field agents and foreign intelligence units from getting any information about him or his whereabouts," said Queisi.
Queisi added that the first to interrogate Shalit in captivity was Ahmed Hamed, commander of the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas’ military wing. Hamed had reportedly inquired Shalit about his name, citizenship, religion and position in the IDF.
According to Queisi, Shalit was frightened but answered the questioned quickly.
Hamed was later killed following the terror attack in southern Israel when IDF troops destroyed the entire PRC leadership.
‘Good conditions’
Only hours after the kidnapping, Shalit was transferred to the the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, with the approval of his captives, so they could hide him in a secrete location.
As for Shalit’s captivity conditions, Queisi claimed that "he was kept under good and humanitarian conditions, better than the ones provided by Israel to our prisoners. He watched television and listened to the radio. We monitored after his medical and physical condition very closely as well as his mental state."
Queisi rejected any claims of Shalit being tortured in captivity, stressing they did whatever they could to keep him safe in order to receive a great number of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the IDF soldier’s release.
According to the Hamas official, Shalit was lightly injured during the kidnapping and received medical treatment which led to his full recovery.
Queisi claimed that immediately after the abduction a few Arab countries conveyed messages to the kidnappers demanding to release Shalit "without getting anything in return, so that we will not pay a high price, including the destruction of the Gaza Strip."
He added that the Palestinian factions rejected these demands and threats. "Israel tried to pressure us by killing a large number of activists after his abduction, but the PRC and Palestinian people stood firm."
Barghouti not included
"This is the happiest day of my life," stated Ahmed Jabari, head of Hamas’ military wing, the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, to Al-Hayat newspaper in a rare interview following the finalization of the first phase of the Shalit deal.
Jabari played an active role in the realization of the swap deal, as he was seen brining Shalit to the Egyptians on Tuesday.
"Israel finally agreed to release half of the prisoners after it hadn’t agreed to releasing any one of them," said Jabari. He added that the exchange deal went through only after Israel agreed to meet Hamas’ demands.
However Israel did refuse to release Marwan Barghouti, Ahmad Saadat and Hamas senior officials. "We realized there was no chance of Israel freeing them," explained Jabari.
He added that it might not have been in Hamas’ interest to see Barghouti, a Fatah official and potential leader, released from prison.