Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, now 25 years old, spent the past five years held in captivity by Hamas, and it shows. Finally released today in exchange for 1,077 Palestinians in Israeli prisons (many for carrying out or planning terrorist attacks), Shalit looked pale and gaunt as he stepped off a plane in Tel Nof Airbase and greeted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with a salute. In his first interview as a free man, Shalit said, "I hope this deal will lead to peace between Palestinians and Israelis and that it will support cooperation between both sides."

Gilad Shalit in first interview since release: I haven't seen people in a long time [Haaretz]