Gilad Shalit Alive: 'Proof of Life' Deal No Breakthrough - Egypt-Hamas Demand Release of Dozens of Terrorists

From the Los Angeles Times, "Israeli Soldier Held Three Years by Hamas Appears Healthy in Video":

Israelis today saw the first images of their country's celebrated hostage, a soldier who looked healthy in a televised video, declared he's being well treated by the Palestinians who captured him more than three years ago, and appealed to Israel's leader to bring him home.

In exchange for the video recording, Israel released 19 Palestinian female prisoners earlier in the day, a swap meant to advance long-deadlocked negotiations to trade the soldier, Staff Sgt. Gilad Shalit, for hundreds of Palestinians accused of militant activity.

Seated and speaking calmly in Hebrew from a written text, Shalit sent love to his parents and recalled in detail a 2005 visit his family paid to his military base. He held up an Arabic-language newspaper as the camera zoomed in on the date: September 14, 2009. After his 2 1/2 -minute statement, he rose from his chair and walked toward the camera.

Those details satisfied Israeli authorities that the proof-of-life evidence they had sought from the militant Hamas movement was filmed recently and that the 23-year-old captive was lucid and capable of walking on his own.

See also, Atlas Shrugs, "Proof of Life: Gilad Shalit": "Expect a boom in the kidnapping Jewish kid biz."

Yep, that's right. See, Haaretz, "Hamas and Egypt: Shalit 'Video Deal' is Not a Breakthrough":

Egyptian sources involved in the negotiations, as well as Hamas sources, emphasized Thursday, however, that the "video deal" is not a breakthrough and the negotiations for Shalit's release can be expected to continue for some time. The Egyptian sources said the deal has nothing to do with the main prize. "It's a positive step, but it must be understood that the work on the comprehensive deal is continuous and there are significant areas of disagreement," one Egyptian source said.

Sources in Hamas said that most of the contention now is over a group of prisoners serving life terms, as well as a way to allow for the release of other prisoners who Israel is refusing to permit to return to their homes in the West Bank. "There is disagreement over the expulsion of dozens of prisoners," one Hamas source said, "and how long they'll be forced to remain in exile. Hamas is demanding that their exile be limited in time."

And From Adam Kushner, "Israel's Trade ─ For the Gilad Shalit Video ─ Wasn't Worth It":

Israel has often found itself asking the question, how much is a life worth? This week they asked it with a twist: how much is mere proof of life worth? A whole lot.

The government yesterday traded 20 female Palestinian prisoners—accused (and often convicted) of crimes from plotting suicide attacks to carrying concealed weapons—for a video proving the soldier Gilad Shalit is still alive. Captured by Hamas in 2006, Shalit has been subject of several attempted deals, and when his freedom is finally won, it will likely be in a hugely asymmetrical deal. Is it worth it?

Probably not. Even conceding that a soldier's life is worth the release of hundreds of prisoners, Israel has several times gotten a raw deal from these trades. In one famous 1985 exchange, Jerusalem traded 1,150 Arab prisoners—some of whom turned around and started shooting again—for three soldiers captured during the Lebanon occupation. Even when they don't, trades like these convey exactly the wrong incentive structure, encouraging the taking of hostages.