The pan-Arab news network Al-Jazeera broadcast archive images of captive IDF soldiers from the past on Thursday night as Hamas continued to pressure Israel to release terrorists in exchange for captive soldier Gilad Shalit. The network aired footage of Nissim Shalem and Yossef Groff. Shalem and Groff were taken captive in Lebanon in 1982. They and fellow captive soldier Hezi Shai were returned to Israel in 1985 in exchange for the release of 1,150 terrorists. One of the freed terrorists, Ahmed Yassin, went on to found Hamas. The footage aired on Al-Jazeera was recorded in 1983. In the video, the two soldiers accused Israel of murdering innocent Arabs in Sabra and Shatila, and compared IDF soldiers to nazis. Shalem later told Israeli reporters that his terrorist captors had forced him to make the statements. He told his captors that the IDF was not responsible for the massacre, but “you couldn't tell them the truth,” he explained. Al-Jazeera used the tapes as part of a three-part series it is airing on the exchange of Israeli captives for imprisoned terrorists. In 2006, Hamas kidnapped IDF soldier Gilad Shalit near Gaza. The terror group claims Shalit is alive and well, although it has refused to allow international observers to make contact with the young captive. Only one short video clip of Shaliit was released by Hamas since his capture. Hamas leaders are demanding the release of over 1,000 terrorists in exchange for Shalit's freedom.
