Gilad Shalit – Bargaining Chip
People & Power investigates the case of the captured Israeli soldier.
How much is a life worth?
Gilad Shalit, an Israeli soldier, was captured on June 25, 2006, in a Hamas raid.
He has been held ever since as a bargaining chip for the release of some or all of the estimated 10,000 Palestinians being held in Israeli jails.
Israel has one unwritten code with those it sends to war; that no one will be left behind.
Israel’s response to Shalit’s capture was quick, but despite continuous efforts, he has not been released and the failure to resolve the issue has further heightened tensions in the region.
Al Jazeera’s Zeina Awad has been following the negotiations and asks both sides: Has it been worth it?
This episode of People & Power airs from Wednesday, December 30, 2009 at the following times GMT: Wednesday: 0600, 1230; Thursday: 0130, 1400, 1930; Friday: 0630, 1630; Saturday: 0330, 2030; Sunday: 0030, 0530; Monday: 0830.