This could be good news:
One of the Palestinian terror operatives who kidnapped Cpl. Gilad Schalit in a cross-border raid near Kerem Shalom last June has been arrested, the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) announced Friday afternoon, lifting a gag order.
Muhammad Salameh Abed Zufi, 30, was apprehended in Rafah on June 9. — Jerusalem Post
One hopes that information can be extracted from him that will lead to Schalit’s location being pinpointed. Although an operation to rescue him would be difficult and dangerous — both for Schalit and for his rescuers — it may turn out to be the best alternative.
I’ve mentioned the Israel Police Yamam unit before. Although it has been used for many purposes, such as intercepting suicide bombers and arresting fugitives, the original purpose and focus of the unit is hostage rescue operations. The training of this group’s operatives and the technology available to them is awesome.
In the past, perhaps for political reasons, Israel has not always employed the Yamam when it would have been the best choice for a particular mission. If it turns out that it is possible to rescue Schalit, and if this is judged to be indeed the best course of action, then there are probably few (if any) police or military units anywhere in the world that could do it better.