Veteran Israeli negotiator: 'There is a chance we can get out most of the hostages'

PERSPECTIVE © FRANCE 24

As Hamas prepares to release a first group of hostages held for more than six weeks in Gaza, it's worth remembering that Israelis have been held hostage many times over the nation's 75-year history. In October 2011, Franco-Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit was freed by Hamas after being held in captivity for more than five years. He'd been captured during a cross-border raid. In Perspective, we spoke to the man who played a key role in negotiating his release. Veteran hostage negotiator Dr Gershon Baskin is now Middle East director at the advocacy group International Communities. He told us that, assuming the truce holds and that Israel frees Palestinian prisoners as planned, "there is a chance" that all civilian hostages being held by Hamas will be released.