logo
episode-header-image
Oct 2022
8m 57s

The release of Gilad Shalit

Bbc World Service
About this episode

On 18 October 2011, Israeli solider Gilad Shalit was freed after spending over five years in captivity in Gaza.

His release was part of a controversial prisoner exchange which saw more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners freed from Israeli jails.

Alex Collins talks to Israeli spy, David Meidan, who was successful in negotiations where others had failed.

(Photo: Gilad Shalit and David Meidan standing directly behind him. Credit: IDF via Getty Images)

Up next
Yesterday
The man who said ‘no’ to Disney
In 1941, Walt Disney made a tempting offer to a fellow pioneer of the animation industry, Quirino Cristiani - the author of the first animated feature film.Cristiani was an Italian immigrant raised in Argentina who built a career creating animated political satires in the early d ... Show More
9m 55s
Jul 10
Ni Una Menos women’s movement in Argentina
On 3 June 2015, tens of thousands of people gathered in the capital, Buenos Aires, and in dozens of cities and towns demanding an end to violence against women. There were demonstrations in Chile and Uruguay in solidarity too. Argentina was reporting a female murder rate of one e ... Show More
9m 31s
Jul 9
Argentina’s national genetics bank created to identify stolen babies
In 1982, Argentine geneticist Victor Penchaszadeh was living in exile in New York when he received a call that would change the course of his career. Two founding members of the campaign group, the Grandmothers of the Plaza de Mayo, were asking for his help to find their kidnappe ... Show More
10m 41s
Recommended Episodes
Nov 2023
Behind the hostage deal
If the hostage deal between Israel and Hamas all goes according to plan, at least 50 hostages held by Hamas will be released in exchange for some 150 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, and there will be a four-day pause in the fighting. But both sides are clear: This is not ... Show More
59m 23s
Oct 2023
Continued coverage of war in Israel: IDF say they have regained control of territory, Hamas holding hostages in Gaza
The latest as the war in Israel continues, Hamas holds over 100 Israelis hostage and threatens to kill them if Israel kills civilians in Gaza. Sasha Ariev, the sister of 19-year-old Israeli captive speaks out on the ongoing war. Plus, we share the experience of first responders w ... Show More
42m 49s
Nov 2023
Israel-Gaza: The hostage and prisoner release explained
By Monday morning, more than fifty hostages held in Gaza had been released as part of a deal between Israel and Hamas. The deal, which includes a four-day pause in fighting, came seven weeks after the 7 October attacks on Israel. In exchange, more than a hundred Palestinian women ... Show More
16m 22s
Nov 2023
Israel and Hamas truce extended by two days
The Israeli army says that eleven hostages released by Hamas from Gaza are now in Israeli territory. In return, thirty-three Palestinian prisoners are being freed. Also: The government of Sierra Leone blames renegade soldiers for a series of attacks in Freetown on Sunday that lef ... Show More
32m 46s
Dec 2023
Barely Catching Breath: Inside Gaza’s short pause and the deal for hostages
The ceasefire in Gaza didn’t last, but seven days without experiencing intense Israeli bombardments is certainly welcome. During the seven days when the worst of the violence was stopped, aid was able to get to the desperate people of Gaza, but additionally it allowed for the rel ... Show More
22m 19s
Jun 2024
Israel torturing prisoners, Israel-Hezbollah war escalates
We are coming to you on Sundays with weekly roundups as Israel's war on Gaza continues. Israel's military said it would slow operations in Gaza but didn't. Israel is holding Palestinian prisoners in Guantanamo Bay-like conditions. Hezbollah demonstrated its capability to evade Is ... Show More
6m 10s
Dec 2023
A Palestinian Teenager’s Experience in an Israeli Prison
As of the time of this recording, Israel has temporarily halted its brutal bombing campaign on the Gaza Strip. As part of the agreement to “pause” the bombing, Israel is releasing Palestinian kids and women held in Israeli prisons in exchange for the release of Israelis held in G ... Show More
13m 56s
Oct 2023
IDF: Israeli soldier rescued from Gaza
A female Israeli soldier kidnapped by Hamas on October 7 has been rescued during ground operations in Gaza, said the Israel Defense Forces. According to Israeli authorities, there are still more than 230 hostages in Gaza. Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus, International Spokesperson of ... Show More
46m 30s