Gilad Shalit, born August 28, 1986, in Nahariya, Israel, and raised in Mitzpe Hila near the Lebanese border, is a former Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldier known for his abduction by Hamas militants.[1][2][3][5] After graduating with distinction from high school in 2005, he enlisted in the IDF's armored corps, opting for combat service despite a low medical profile, following his brother Yoel.[1][3] On June 25, 2006, the 19-year-old corporal was captured in a cross-border raid near Kerem Shalom, where Hamas-linked militants tunneled into Israel, attacked his tank with gunfire and grenades, killing two soldiers (Pavel Slutsker and Chanan Barak) and wounding others, including Shalit.[1][2][3] Held captive in Gaza for 1,940 days without International Red Cross access, his case sparked national protests, media campaigns, and Operation Summer Rains, an unsuccessful IDF incursion.[1][2] Shalit was released on October 18, 2011, in a controversial deal brokered by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, exchanging him for 1,027 Palestinian prisoners, many convicted of attacks on Israelis—the largest such swap in Israeli history.[1][2][3][4] Deemed healthy after exams, he was promoted to sergeant first class and discharged as a sergeant major in April 2012.[1][3] Post-military, Shalit became a sports journalist.[3] In January 2024, amid the Israel-Hamas War following Hamas's October 2023 attack, he met with families of hostages held by Hamas, offering support.[3] His ordeal remains a symbol of Israel's commitment to retrieving soldiers.[4] (Word count: 298)