What about Gilad Shalit, the Israeli soldier held captive by Hamas since June 2006?
Israel, which long balked at Hamas demands that it free hundreds of jailed Palestinian militants in exchange for Shalit, says the current offensive may pressure Hamas into agreeing to a less lopsided swap. The presence of so many Israeli troops in Gaza also raises the possibility of a rescue attempt. But Hamas says Shalit is being kept out of Israel’s reach and that the fighting can only hurt his chances of going home unharmed.
