JERUSALEM (JTA) — Protesters blocked Israel’s border crossings with the Gaza Strip to protest the continued captivity of Gilad Shalit.
The hundreds who gathered Tuesday prevented up to 100 trucks carrying humanitarian supplies from entering Gaza, Ha’aretz reported. Some truckers refused to enter the strip in solidarity with the protesters.
"The nation has had enough of this situation," Shalit’s father, Noam, told the demonstrators. "The people want Gilad back and find it unacceptable that he has been in Hamas captivity for three years now."
Noam Shalit asked the demonstrators to allow trucks carrying medical supplies to enter Gaza and Palestinians requiring medical attention to cross into Israel.
Palestinians held a counter-demonstration on the other side of the crossings demanding that Israel end its blockade of the coastal strip.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday told a meeting of his Likud Party that he considers the return of Shalit his "personal responsibility." Noam Shalit attended the meeting.
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