The facts are stark and not so simple.Some would suggest the Helen Thomas solution.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufLAitMq3zI&feature=player_embedded#at=19

It seems only Jews can love their children. Of course the families of the 10,000 Palestinian prisoners languishing in Israeli jails do not also yearn for the release of their loved ones.
Simply dismissing all Palestinian resistance against an illegal occupation as terrorism does not change the reality. It is the Israeli's who do the vast majority of the killing and kidnapping in Israel/Palestine.
Unlike the hundreds of Children killed by the IDF over the past few years, at least Shalit is a soldier, and so a valid military target. In fact Prisoner of War would be a more apt title than kidnapped soldier.

If Gilad should be classified as a 'Prisoner of War' as an academic at Monash Rhys you should know that the Palestinian government has once again broken international Law and ignored the Geneva convention[ and any Morality] by refusing to acknowledge Gilad is alive and allow Red Cross or Magen David access as well as letters etc.

The fact that so many Jews do care about one of their own and not in a hurry to become a martyr shows the difference between the Palestinians and the Jews of Israel. Perhaps thats why the Jordanians threw them out the Lebanese keep them in Camps, the oil Arabs only use the Palestinians as cannon fodder.

Perhaps the Palestinians should look at Israel and what they have done with no Oil , no money and very little population instead of feeling sorry for themselves. If they wanted peace they could have achieved it long ago unfortunately they they prefer Martyrdom.

I am shocked by some comments here of people supposedly supporting human rights who deny Gilad Shalit his because of their political stand. The word hypocritical comes to mind.

Well said Wazza!
If you truly stand for human rights then you support human rights for all.

I am shocked that people do not have enough sympathy in their hearts to be able to separate politics from human emotion.
If Gilad Shalit is a "Prisoner of War" and not an abducted soldier, then he should be afforded the same rights as other prisoners of war, and be given Red Cross visits, etc. The last sign of life from Gilad Shalit was 2 years ago.
Furthermore, some posters have talked about Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails and I'd like to suggest that there is are just a few differences between them and Gilad Shalit. Let us put aside the fact that they have been tried and convicted of a crime (many of which have blood on their hands). Their families know where they are, know what condition they are in health wise, and in some cases can visit them as well. Many even get an education through the Open University and can have conjugal visits.
Gilad's parent's do not know where Gilad is. They do not know if he is in poor health, if he is being treated well, whether he is being fed etc.