The kidnapped Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit was seen speaking on a video released by Hamas. “I have been in prison for an entire year and my health is deteriorating. I need lengthy hospitalization,” Shalit says in Hebrew on the video, which was released Monday. The recording is the first sign of life from Shalit since a handwritten note was delivered to his parents nine months ago. Shalit’s father confirmed that the voice was that of his son.
Abu Mujahid, a spokesman for the Popular Resistance Committees, a Hamas-linked group, said Shalit is “alive and in very good shape.” “His health is good and he’s stable. We are treating him according to our religion’s instructions on how to deal with war prisoners,” Mujahid said, according to reports. The Israeli human rights group B’Tselem, which emphasizes Palestinian rights, called for Shalit’s immediate release.
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