Paul Calvert spoke with campaign volunteer Lena Rozenberg

Gilad Schalit

Gilad Shalit, an Israeli soldier kidnapped by Hamas in 2006, could be released within the next 48 hours in exchange for over 1,000 Palestinian prisoners, as part of a prisoner swap with Hamas. Paul Calvert spoke with Lena Rozenberg, a volunteer, who has helped the Shalit family campaign to get their son released.

Paul: Who is Gilad Shalit?

Lena: Gilad is a soldier. He's the son of Aviva and Noam Shalit. Today I can say he is the son of everybody in Israel. We are so used to waking up in the morning and thinking about him and going to sleep and thinking about him. Gilad was a soldier that chose to go to the defence team. He chose to be part of a team that fights for Israel, protecting the country. He was kidnapped before the second Lebanon war at the border in the north next to Gaza, by Hamas terrorists. They came through a channel and attacked the team that Gilad and his friend were in. At that time we lost two soldiers in this fight and Gilad was wounded and taken by Hamas and put in prison.

Paul: He's been in captivity for five years already hasn't he?

Lena: Yes on 25th June it was the 5th anniversary. It's a long time; too much time.

Paul: How old was Gilad when he was kidnapped?

Gilad Schalit with his father

Lena: He was 20 years old when he was kidnapped by Hamas.

Paul: And of course this started the Lebanon war. Have the Red Cross been able to see him since he was kidnapped?

Lena: No definitely not. We as a team, who fight for Gilad's release, including his parents, have made a demonstration against this. There are terrorists in Israeli prisons who have killed people and they can get their mother and father to come and visit them. It's so unrighteous; basically they get internet and TV, food and even studying in university. They get from the Israeli government the right to study in the Open University in prison and Gilad Shalit for five years his mother couldn't see him. His father and mother couldn't go and see him, hug him and speak to him and write letters to him.

Paul: What sort of conditions do you think he has been kept in?

Lena: I don't want to say my opinion. Each of us can only try to imagine what is happening with Gilad; how he is and where he is. I try to be optimistic and think he is fine, but of course we don't think he is in a four star hotel. As far as I know Gilad is a card in the hand of Hamas. Hamas need him in a way, so that they get their prisoners released. I believe they are not treating him so badly, which means they give him his food, they speak to him nice because they don't want his mental and physical circumstances to be bad, because they need their prisoners released. The circumstances will not be the best though.

Paul: How has it been for the father and mother of Gilad Shalit, I know you've been close to them?

Lena: Yes, even when you ask me this question, I feel so sad because I know that sometimes a word cannot express and I think if everybody thinks about their son or daughter that you love so much and if you put them or yourself in these circumstances then you know how you are feeling; that is the way Gilad's parents Aviva and Noam are feeling.

His mother described in one of the newspapers that it is difficult for her to sleep in the night as all the time the thoughts are coming, what he is doing there, what they are doing to him, if he is cold, if he has some blanket to put over himself and how he feels. It's definitely very difficult for Noam and Aviva and for his brother Yoel and his sister Hadas and the grandfather Zvi and all the family. It's a circumstance that no-one can describe.