Home at last

Gilad Shalit has returned to his home, firm on Israel soil and the worse for wear. He looks like a concentration camp survivor, thin and gaunt, sallow complexion and sunken cheeks tell a tale of bare survival and mistreatment by Hamas. In contrast to the Palestinians released from Israeli prison, they all look healthy, fit and, as one says ready to "...kidnap more soldiers"

The more Israel appeases their enemies, the more they put themselves at risk.

From AP/Yahoo October 17 by Daniella Cheslow

Israeli military: Schalit suffering malnutrition

TEL NOF AIR BASE, Israel (AP) — An Israeli military official says the freed Israeli soldier, Sgt. Gilad Schalit, is showing signs of malnutrition and lack of exposure to the sun after five years inHamas captivity.

Schalit was examined by military doctors after being freed earlier Tuesday by Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity under military protocol.

Schalit has appeared weak, pale and extremely thin in an Egyptian TV interview and video clips released by the Israeli military.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

TEL NOF AIR BASE, Israel (AP) — Looking thin, weary and dazed, an Israeli soldier returned home Tuesday from more than five years of captivity in the Gaza Strip in exchange for hundreds ofPalestinian prisoners whose joyful families greeted them with massive celebrations.

Gilad Schalit, in a brief interview with Egyptian TV before being transferred to Israel, said he was "very excited" to taste freedom and had missed his family and friends. He said he feared he would remain in captivity "many more years" and worried since being told of the deal last week that last-minute hitches might cause it to collapse.

"Of course I missed my family. I missed friends, meeting people to talk to people, and not to sit all day, to do the same things," he said.

But Schalit's physical appearance raised questions about the condition of his captivity in the hands of the Hamas militant group. The 25-year-old appeared pale and gaunt, shifted in his seat, struggled to breathe and seemed to mumble as he answered the questions.

Later, video released by the military showed him being helped into an army jeep after crossing the border into Israel, and walking gingerly down a set of steps from a military caravan after changing his clothes into a fresh army uniform. Still, military officials said a physical exam had found him to be in good shape.

Later, he was flown on a helicopter to an air base in central Israel for a reunion with his family hosted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Netanyahu told an audience that he understood the pain of Israeli families who lost relatives in Palestinian violence, but that Israel's ethos of doing everything possible to bring its soldiers home safely forced him to act.

He also issued a staunch warning to the freed militants. "We will continue to fight terror and every released terrorist who returns to terror will be held accountable," he said.

Those concerns were underscored with comments by one of the freed prisoners, Hamas militant leader Yehia Sinwar, who called on the movement to kidnap more soldiers.

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