JERUSALEM — Images of the lanky soldier with dark eyes have haunted Israel for five years, but Gilad Shalit may finally be heading home.
Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas announced an agreement Tuesday to free Shalit, who was abducted in a cross-border raid near the Gaza Strip, in exchange for the release of more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners.
His 2006 capture pushed Israel to tighten a punishing blockade around the seaside enclave, home to 1.5 million Palestinians.
Shalit’s captivity has long been a source of national anguish in Israel. In a country where most young people are required to serve in Israel’s army, nearly every household could identify with the Shalit family’s pain.
But the case also triggered national soul-searching over whether to negotiate with Hamas, which Israel and the U.S. consider a terrorist group, and how high a price to pay for one soldier’s freedom.
The deal delivers a significant victory for Hamas, which refuses to recognize Israel or renounce violence. Palestinian prisoners slated to be released include some high-profile Palestinian leaders and many militants accused of killing Israelis in terrorist attacks.
But because of growing concerns about Shalit’s safety, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with help from Egyptian and German mediators, decided to accept a deal similar to one he rejected two years ago.
“In the coming days, we will return Gilad to the bosom of his parents,” Netanyahu told reporters Tuesday, acknowledging the decision required him to balance the 25-year-old’s well-being with Israel’s national-security interests.
Shalit and about 450 Palestinian prisoners are expected be released in the coming week, with an additional 550 prisoners set free two months later, Hamas officials said.
Israeli officials said Marwan Barghouti, a popular leader who was sentenced to five life terms for his role in organizing past uprisings, will not be let go.
Even in prison, Barghouti has usually ranked in polls as a leading contender to be the next Palestinian Authority president.
