JERUSALEM (JTA) — A Rosh Hashanah package for abducted Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit was passed to Gaza.
Shalit’s father, Noam, gave the package Thursday to representatives of Hamas terrorists imprisoned in Israel. The representatives passed 100 packages to Israel for their family members in honor of the Id al-Fitr holiday, which falls on Sunday.
The package for Shalit, which included apples and honey, religious books and a copy of the book based on a short story written by Shalit, traveled across Israel before being brought to the border with Gaza.
Hamas has said it will not deliver the package. Israel Prisoner Services also is not delivering the packages for the Hamas prisoners, as it considers a request from the Organization for Victims of Terror to not pass on the packages.
"Gilad will ‘celebrate’ Rosh Hashanah in a Hamas basement in Gaza," Noam Shalit said during the exchange, noting that his son has been in captivity for more than 1,200 days.
Shalit was captured by Hamas in a cross-border raid in June 2006.
On Wednesday, Noam Shalit objected to the Goldstone commission’s characterization of his son as a prisoner of war.
"Gilad is not a prisoner, he is being held as a captive or hostage and must be immediately released, not only for humanitarian reasons but also because holding a hostage is a serious war crime according to Clause 8 of the Treaty of Rome," he reportedly said.
